Live from CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore, MD | Crowd Size: 9,200
SEGMENT ONE
In the cold open, the camera follows Paul Heyman as he power walks down the hallway, his coat flapping behind him. His phone is pressed to his ear, as he appears to be in full crisis prevention mode.
Paul Heyman: [into the phone] No, everything needs to be perfect for when the Kinslayer arrives. I want his dressing room to be as relaxing as the Garden of Eden. I want wall-to-wall catering, protein, carbs, electrolytes. The works! And get that brand of sparkling water he likes, the one that costs more than my first car.
He continues marching down the hallway, speaking quickly, not giving the person on the other end of the phone much time to react.
Paul Heyman: [into the phone] Where are we at with the masseuse? No, not the one from Milwaukee, she talked too much. He wants the one from Toronto! She needs to be ready the moment he walks backstage after kicking Ricochet’s ass! Tonight is the night the Kinslayer gets back on track. I don’t want a single thing out of place, do you understand me?
He hangs up the phone and rounds the corner, smashing directly into Doc Brown, who is frantically moving around his makeshift lab. A loud beeping noise echoes down the hallway as one of his devices hits the floor.
Doc Brown: [startled, flailing] GREAT SCOTT! You’ve disrupted a delicate diagnostic sequence!
Heyman steadies himself, patting down his suit.
Paul Heyman: What the hell? Watch where you’re going!
Doc Brown scrambles to his hands and knees, frantically checking on the device, which is blinking red.
Doc Brown: [irritated] Do you have ANY idea what you’ve just interfered with!? That was a temporal density reading! I was seconds away from confirming a micro-rift in this very hallway!
Heyman stares at him incredulously.
Paul Heyman: Do you… do you know who you just walked into?!
Brown glances up at him, annoyed and distracted.
Doc Brown: A man with poor spatial awareness!
As Brown gets to his feet, Heyman grabs him by his lab coat.
Paul Heyman: My name is PAUL HEYMAN—
Brown pushes his hand off his lab coat, and locks eyes with Heyman.
Doc Brown: Ah, marvelous! Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown, pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr. Hay-Man.
Paul Heyman: [gritting his teeth] It’s Heyman! And your name isn’t Emmett, it’s Christopher Lloyd! You’re pushing 90 years old, and you’ve spent years turning this industry into a roadside attraction!
Doc gasps, clutching his device like a wounded pet.
Doc Brown: I’ve done nothing of the sort! I was invited because of my scientific brilliance! Quantum conditioning! Spatial recalibration training! Experimental endurance loops!
Heyman takes an uncomfortable step forward, as the two biggest managers in pro wrestling come face to face for the first time.
Paul Heyman: You know something? I was there the night they inducted you into the World of Wrestling Hall of Fame… it was the moment the entire institution took a nosedive into lunacy!
Doc’s face shifts from irritation to hurt.
Doc Brown: Well, I thought it was a lovely ceremony!
Paul Heyman: Tell me, Doc. How many world champions have you managed?
Doc opens his mouth to respond, but Heyman raises his hand and cuts him off.
Paul Heyman: Zero! Meanwhile, I’ve taken two superstars to world championships this past year alone, and all of my former clients are current main event attractions where they work! You? You’ve led racist mid-carders, circus rejects, and steroid abusers! And now? You don’t even have a client! The Hall of Fame was tainted the moment you walked across the stage!
Brown grabs at Heyman’s face, pinching his cheek, before quickly letting go and scanning Heyman with scientific curiosity.
Doc Brown: Hmm… round face. High tension in the shoulders… elevated cortisol… Sir, you appear to be under tremendous stress, possibly job related! And I may not have managed a world champion, yet, but I am on the verge of creating the formula for the ideal pro wrestler! Perfect physique, perfect ring intelligence, perfect durability… I’m isolating the exact molecular structure of—
Heyman cuts him off.
Paul Heyman: [deadpan] You’re as unhinged as Benny Mouse when the nurses can’t find his meds! You belong in an assisted living facility that specializes in delusion management!
Doc’s jaw drops.
Paul Heyman: And me? I am going to meet my client, a TRUE star, and the future two-time AEW World Heavyweight Champion, the slayer of beasts and kin, Sean Olson!
Heyman brushes past him with enough force to spin Doc halfway around. Do stands stunned, before muttering to himself.
Doc Brown: Well, that was uncalled for! But, I mustn’t let emotional turbulence interrupt progress. My work continues!
He hurries off, muttering equations to himself as the scene fades.
As the opening video concludes and the pyro explodes, Arn Anderson and Kevin Kelly welcome us back to Dynamite. Kelly says last week, a last minute decision was made to give BWM Inc. a week off as a thank you for their willingness to work through the holidays, but we’re back now, moving forward and uninterrupted! Anderson says he had a great Thanksgiving with his son Brock and FTR, and hopes everyone else had a great holiday as well.
Match #1 | Exhibition Match
The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) vs. Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince)
As Pretty Deadly make their entrance, Arn Anderson discusses what a big opportunity this is for Pretty Deadly, especially given the news that he just got. Anderson says at Elite Warfare, the card has been finalized with the addition of The Young Bucks defending the AEW World Tag Team Championships against the Briscoe Brothers! Kelly says if Pretty Deadly can pull off the upset, they’ll surely find themselves back in title contention.
Kevin Kelly: I am not sure that any other tag team has ever debuted with the sort of buzz that the Briscoe Brothers have had this season. After weeks of vignettes, the indie veterans burst onto the scene with a tag title shot against The Attraction back in September. However, it was the Young Bucks who caused a double disqualification, and the Briscoes haven’t had a one on one shot at the gold ever since!
As the bell rings, the match opens with Mark Briscoe and Elton Prince circling the ring.
Arn Anderson: Well, that’s going to change in five short weeks when the Bucks have to defend the belt against Mark and Jay! But the Briscoes would be unwise to underestimate Pretty Deadly. Sure, they’re flashy, but they’re also dangerous, and they’ll take any shortcut in the book!
Elton and Mark lock up, trading wrist control. Elton teases a clean break, but then slaps Mark across the back of his head. Mark laughs it off in his trademark unhinged way, before bursting forward with a tumbling senton off the second rope, flattening Elton!
Mark makes the quick tag to Jay, but Jay gets caught off guard as he enters the ring and Elton goes for a quick roll up!
1…
2…
Jay kicks out!
Elton flows seamlessly into an arm wrench, dragging Jay back to Pretty Deadly’s corner. There’s a blind tag, and Wilson slingshots in with a double stomp to Jay’s arm. Pretty Deadly unload with the double team offense as referee Lance Storm begins the count. Pretty Deadly catch Jay with a double gut buster, rapid fire stomps, and a tandem slingshot into a flatliner!
Arn Anderson: That’s what I was saying, Kevin! Pretty Deadly are smug. They’re obnoxious, but they also know how to isolate a man in that ring!
Kevin Kelly: Maybe I should ask them for some tips!
Arn Anderson: Will you knock it off?!
There’s another quick tag as Elton is now legal; he returns to the ring as Kit rolls Jay into a clutch and Elton drills Jay with a basement dropkick to the jaw. Kit exits the ring as Elton locks on a tight abdominal stretch, wrenching hard.
Kevin Kelly: Pretty Deadly is looking sharp tonight. They know the Briscoes’ attention is split, especially after what happened at Season’s Beatings.
Arn Anderson: The Briscoes stepped in to help Will Ospreay when Kenny Omega and the Bucks tried to jump him! You have to believe the Briscoes are keeping an eye out for another ambush.
Jay fights free from the hold and slips behind Elton; he explodes into a sequence of nearfalls. Their bodies are spinning across the ring as Jay turns counter after counter into roll-ups. The crowd pops for the athleticism.
From the apron, Mark Briscoe tries to springboard in to break the cycle, but Kit sweeps his legs off the ropes and sends him crashing to the outside.
Elton sprints forward and blasts Jay with a shotgun dropkick, and Kit enters the ring as they send him into the corner. As Mark starts to get to his feet, Kit grabs Elton from behind and hurls him over the ropes with a back suplex; Elton twists into a senton and crashes onto Mark as the crowd gasps.
Kevin Kelly: Innovative offense tonight from Pretty Deadly; the precision on that one was incredible!
As Elton scrambles to his feet on the outside, Kip catches Jay with a flying knee strike to the face. Elton gets back in the ring as Kip returns to the apron. Elton goes up top and measures Jay; as he gets to his feet he launches with a beautiful somersault plancha!
Arn Anderson: These kids are punks, but man, they can fly!
Jay finally manages to create some distance, making the blind tag to Mark just in time. Jay sidesteps a charge from Elton, twisting him inside out with a strong lariat.
Mark climbs to the second turnbuckle as Jay sends Elton into the corner. Mark launches with a martial arts kick!
The impact of the kick sends Elton to Pretty Deadly’s corner, and Kit makes the tag. He enters like a missile, hitting a codebreaker on Jay, followed by a tornado DDT to Mark!
Pretty Deadly work together to hit their version of Poetry in Motion, a running dropkick off Elton’s back that knocks Jay to the floor! Kit goes to the top rope, calling for the frogsplash! He launches, but Mark gets the knees up!
Mark stumbles to his feet, but Elton nails him with a sudden Ace Crusher variant, flattening him. Kit grabs Mark’s leg as the official scrambles for control. He locks in a tight octopus stretch, and Mark grits his teeth as he reaches for the ropes. He thrashes and fights through it, finally getting the break!
Just as Elton is about to exit the ring, Mark hits the ropes and hits a springboard moonsault press onto both members of Pretty Deadly!
Kevin Kelly: And there’s the Mark Briscoe we all know and love! A complete wild man with the heart of ten men!
Jay rushes Elton. Kit catches him and goes for the Air Raid Crash, but Mark cuts him off. Jay attempts the Jay Driller, but it’s blocked! Mark hoists Kit onto his shoulders… DEATH VALLEY DRIVER INTO THE CORNER!
The ref finally gets Elton to the apron, just in time for him to grab Marks foot as he clips to hit the springboard doomsday device! Kit rolls Jay into a crucifix and Storm counts…
1…
2…
Jay kicks out!
Elton charges back in and nails Jay with a Yakuza kick!
Elton holds Jay draped across his knees while Kit hits the somersault senton! He covers!
1…
2…
2.999!
Mark breaks it up with a dive!
He catches Elton with a superkick that sends him back to the outside. Mark hits the ropes and nails a somersault plancha over the ropes!
Kit goes for the Cradleshock, but Jay escapes… JAY DRILLER!
1…
2…
THRE—
KIT KICKS OUT!
The crowd explodes, surprised by Pretty Deadly’s willingness to fight it out. There’s a “This is awesome!” chant, but it quickly turns to another gasp as Jay hoists Kit onto his shoulders and Mark scales the ropes. SPRINGBOARD DOOMSDAY connects!
1…
2…
2.999!
ELTON DIVES IN AND BREAKS THE COUNT!
All four men are back int he ring, desperately trying to finish the other team off. Elton and Mark battle onto the top rope, trading blows. Kit scales the other corner, catches Mark with the sliced break! He covers!
1…
2…
Mark BARELY kicks out!
Kit goes for it again, but Mark shoves him and he falls to the second rope. Jay charges, JAY DRILLER from the second rope! Mark follows it up with a frogsplash!
1…
2…
3!!!
Kevin Kelly: What a war! The Briscoe Brothers have done it!
Winners: Mark & Jay Briscoe
Match Time: 23:52
As the bell sounds, Pretty Deadly roll to the outside, clutching their ribs and jaws, retreating up the ramp. In the ring, Mark and Jay pound their chests, slap hands, and soak in the crowd’s approval.
Suddenly, the lights dim and the buzz in the arena shifts. The tron flickers to life, and the Young Bucks appear on the screen, seated comfortably, with the tag titles draped over their shoulders.
Matt Jackson begins a slow, exaggerated mocking clap.
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] Wow! Look at that! Congrats, guys! You just barely survived one of the least intimidating teams in AEW!
The crowd erupts with boos.
Nick Jackson: [on the tron] Seriously… Pretty Deadly? More like pretty gay!
He shakes his head in a mocking tone.
Nick Jackson: [on the tron] You barely beat them, what makes you think you’ve got any business stepping into the ring with us at Elite Warfare?
In the ring, Jay paces, his jaw clenched. Mark leans on the ropes, staring daggers at the screen.
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] See, this is where reality sets in. We are the True Elite of professional wrestling. We define what tag team wrestling looks like on the biggest stage.
He gestures at the Briscoes dimissively.
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] And you two? You’re just glorified indie guys who finally wandered out of the woods.
Nick smirks.
Nick Jackson: [on the tron] There’s a reason it took you over a decade to make it to the big leagues. And it’s not because you were “held back.”
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] It’s because you don’t belong here! You look like you crawled out of a trailer park with more scars from wrestling in barns than teeth in your mouths.
The crowd rains down boos.
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] You don’t fit this company. You don’t fit this division. And you definitely don’t fit holding our championships.
Nick Jackson: [on the tron] But hey, rules are rules! Shocker says you get your title shot, so you get it. Elite Warfare. The Bucks versus the Briscoes.
Matt Jackson: [on the tron] And when we’re done beating your asses? Do everyone a favor… hang up the boots, go back to that chicken farm, and stay there!
The tron suddenly goes black as the arena lights come back on. The Briscoes are seething in the ring, as Kevin Kelly says we’ll be right back after this commercial break.
SEGMENT TWO
Backstage, AEW Correspondent Renee Young is standing by with the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes.
Renee Young: Cody, at Season’s Beatings, the Elite Warfare Invitational didn’t go your way. Now it’s official, you’ll be entering the 60-man, three-ring battle royal from the number two position. What’s going through your mind?
Cody exhales slowly, nodding his head once.
Cody Rhodes: You’re right, Renee. That match didn’t go the way I wanted it to. And now? I’ve got fifty-nine other men standing between me and the one thing I’ve been chasing my entire life.
Cody pauses a beat, steadying himself.
Cody Rhodes: My father, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes… he used to talk to me and my brother and sister about hard times. He never talked like it was a slogan, he talked like it was something you live through.
Cody looks directly into the camera, his eyes locked in.
Cody Rhodes: Hard times are when people give everything they have and still get told to go home. Hard times are when someone gives thirty years of their life and gets replaced, no thanks, no respect. That’s what he meant. That’s what he lived.
Cody’s voice tightens.
Cody Rhodes: And if I’m being honest? My entire career has been hard times. Highs. Lows. Being told I wasn’t ready. Being told I was too much, or not enough. Starting over. Walking away. Fighting my way back.
Cody taps his chest.
Cody Rhodes: But here’s the truth, Renee. Until I am the World Heavyweight Champion, nothing else matters. If I have to outlast everyone else on January 12th at Elite Warfare to get my shot? If I have to bleed, crawl, and fight from bell to bell? Then that’s exactly what I’ll do. Because when I finally win the big one, I’m going to raise that belt high for everyone who ever believed that I could.
Suddenly, Cody’s interrupted as LA Knight steps into the frame!
LA Knight: Let me talk to ya!
Knight smirks, but there’s an edge behind his smile.
LA Knight: Cody, I was listenin’ real close. And you know what? You and I, we’ve got a lot in common. We’re on the same grind. We’re about the same age. And we’re apart of the same story… “Almost.”
Knight steps in closer, as Renee Young uncomfortably holds the mic between the two.
LA Knight: We’re both walkin’ into Elite Warfare at the very start. Number one and number two! We’re both chasin’ our dreams from the ground floor.
His tone sharpens.
LA Knight: But here’s where we’re different. You talk about hard times? Well, we’re not all born into this business. Some of us start on a lower rung than others. I didn’t come to AEW to be a great promo, or the mid-card champ, or the guy who everyone likes. I came here to be the World Heavyweight Champion.
Cody’s eyes never leave Knights, as Young continues to shrink between the two.
LA Knight: If it comes down to you and me in the final two? I need you to know that I won’t hesitate. I won’t blink. I’ll toss your ass out of the ring without a second thought, because I’m done being second best, YEAH!
They stand nose to nose, neither man backing down. Renee is still wedged between them, as she breaks the tension.
Rene Young: And with that, let’s send it back to ringside!
Match #2 | Exhibition Match
‘The Kinslayer’ Sean Olson w/ Paul Heyman vs. Ricochet
Ricochet is out first, as Arn Anderson notes he has still never won a match in AEW. Anderson says he spoke with Ricochet backstage earlier tonight, and Ricochet firmly believes that 2026 will be his breakout year. He’s hoping to jumpstart that momentum tonight with a big upset over the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
Olson’s out next as Hysteria by Muse hits, and Paul Heyman gives the Kinslayer his usual hyped introduction. As the bell sounds, Heyman stands outside of the ring, his arms folded, and his eyes locked on his client. He gives Olson a nod, and Olson immediately charges Ricochet with a cold look in his eyes.
Olson opens with a series of thundering chops, leaving welts on Ricochet’s chest.
Kevin Kelly: The Kinslayer said tonight was about refocusing; about getting back on track after weeks of distractions at the hands of his brother, The Forgotten Brandon Lee. Heyman gave him that pep talk at Season’s Beatings, and it seems to have gotten through to Olson!
Olson rocks Ricochet with a step-up enziguri. Ricochet stuns him by hitting the ropes hard, firing off a sudden knee to Olson’s jaw. Ricochet goes on the offense, hitting a sharp kick, following by a springboard clothesline that sends Olson to the mat.
Ricochet floats over and nails a standing Shooting Star Press, into a cover. Olson kicks out at one and a half.
Arn Anderson: Ricochet can overwhelm you in a heartbeat. Olson’s got to slow this down, or this turns into a track meet.
Kevin Kelly: This kid has a world of potential, he’s just got to find his confidence. A win over Olson could be just what he needs!
Olson absorbs another strike, then explodes forward with a jumping kick to the face. He grabs Ricochet and delivers two consecutive German suplexes, planting him hard.
Ricochet responds with an elbow to the face and flips out of a suplex attempt, landing on his feet. He sends Olson to the apron and drills him with a springboard kick to the side of the head.
Ricochet charges with a dive through the second rope, but Olson moves. RIcochet spills to the outside, crashing to the floor. Olson snatches him into a brutal German suplex on the outside; Ricochet does a full rotation and lands hard on the concrete!
Kevin Kelly: That’s the danger of Sean Olson. If you make one mistake, he turns your momentum into damage!
Olson sends Ricochet back inside, and follows up with a missile dropkick for a two count. Olson goes to the top rope, but Ricochet springboards into a hurricanrana that sends Olson to the mat!
They fight back to their feet, as Olson tries to hoist Ricochet up. Ricochet wrestles free, shoving Olson chest first into the turnbuckle. Olson spins and catches Ricochet with a huge clothesline!
With Ricochet on the mat, Olson goes upstairs once again. This time, he connects with a senton splash into the cover!
1…
2…
Ricochet kicks out!
Olson begins punching Ricochet mercilessly. Ricochet fires back, and the two trade kicks to the face. Ricochet wins the exchange with a superkick.
Ricochet hits Olson with a fireman’s carry slam. He springs to the ropes and lands a picture-perfect lionsault!
1…
2…
Olson kicks out again.
Ricochet goes to the top and dives with the cross body, but Olson drills him with a knee to the ribs! As Ricochet falls to his knees, Olson hits a running knee to his face.
He lifts Ricochet up for a powerbomb, but Ricochet flips out of it. He hooks Olson for an inside cradle, and Olson again kicks out at two. Heyman pounds the mat, screaming for Olson to focus. The words of encouragement are effective, as Olson catches Ricochet with a powerbomb!
Olson drags Ricochet to the corner, and drags him to the top rope for an Olson Plunge. Ricochet elbows out of it and sends Olson rolling to the mat. He launches himself with a 450 splash into a cover!
1…
2…
2.999!
Kevin Kelly: Man, was that close! Ricochet just nearly stole what would undoubtedly be the biggest win of his career!
Heyman barks more encouragement, as Ricochet goes for the Recoil. Olson counters with a superkick that sends Ricochet flying into the corner. Olson grabs him and drags him back up top…
OLSON PLUNGE!
1…
2…
3!!!
Kevin Kelly: It’s “Mission Accomplished” for the Kinslayer tonight on Dynamite!
Arn Anderson: When Olson’s focused, he’s one of the most violent and dangerous men in pro-wrestling.
Kevin Kelly: And that’s the version that Paul Heyman demanded at Season’s Beatings. No more distractions for Olson!
Winner: ‘The Kinslayer’ Sean Olson
Match Time: 9:03
Heyman enters the ring, raising Olson’s arm. He leans in, whispering something as Olson stares straight ahead.
Kevin Kelly: Earlier tonight we saw Heyman collide with Doc Brown backstage, chaos following him everywhere. But when it comes to Sean Olson, everything is crystal clear. Olson has declared for Elite Warfare, and this win sends a message.
Olson suddenly turns his head to the rafters, unprompted. As if he’s expecting Brandon Lee or another crow attack. Heyman points at Ricochet on the mat, and tells Olson to focus.
Olson jumps out of the ring and heads to the timekeeper’s area. He grabs a steel chair, drawing boos from the crowd as he heads back to the ring.
Arn Anderson: Oh, come on! Is this really necessary!
Olson slides in with the chair, and begins to brutally assault Ricochet, with one chair shot after the other! Ricochet is completely out cold as the bell rings over and over, and Olson continues his assault for no good reason, other than his own frustrations.
Kevin Kelly: Ricochet doesn’t deserve this! And look at the smile on Paul Heyman’s face! This man is twisted!
Olson sets the chair in the center of the ring, as he sits it upright unfolded. He grabs Ricochet’s lifeless body and drags him to the corner.
Arn Anderson: Come on, Sean! Don’t do this!
Olson climbs to the top with Ricochet. He looks to the rafters once more, points his middle finger towards the heavens, and then drills Ricochet with the Olson Plunge onto the chair!
Kevin Kelly: So much for Ricochet having a jumpstart on 2026, he’s more likely to start the year off from a hospital bed after what we’re seeing!
Arn Anderson: Despicable! Olson is sending his brother a message. Olson’s sending the roster a message! He’s heading into Elite Warfare with a clear directive… he wants that title back!
Kevin Kelly: We’re going to need some help out here! Folks, don’t go anywhere, when we come back it’s the Hurt Syndicate and MJF vs. The Bullet Club!
SEGMENT THREE
Match #3 | Six Man Tag
MJF & The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin w/ MVP) vs. The Buller Club (Switchblade Jay White, Austin & Colten Gunn)
The Bullet Club is out first, as Anderson notes that this is the first we’re seeing of Austin & Colten Gunn since the team lost the tag titles this past summer. Kelly notes that Switchblade Jay White has also been missing in action, much to the dismay of the pundits who have been clamoring for his breakout moment.
The Hurt Syndicate is out next, as the audience sings along with the chorus of “We Hurt People!” MJF’s music hits, as he enters wearing an MVP-styled vest. Anderson wonders if MJF is trying to promote unity between the group following their meeting at Season’s Beatings.
Kevin Kelly: It was during that meeting that MVP promised that the Hurt Syndicate will have MJF’s back at Elite Warfare, but let’s not forget what Lashley said. The Almighty promised that if and when MJF got the title back, he’d be the one standing in line for the first challenge!
Arn Anderson: Calling this an uneasy alliance would be a dramatic understatement; you can already feel the tension between them. MJF’s gonna have to do more than wear a vest to prove to Lashley that he didn’t cost him the world title on purpose!
As the bell sounds, MJF starts things off with Colten Gunn. He smirks as he slams Colten to the mat with a body slam, posing for the crowd and drawing boos.
Colten scrambles to his corner, tagging Austin Gunn in. The Bullet Club works to isolate MJF with quick tags and fast movement, keeping MJF grounded in their corner. Austin hits a sharp dropkick, before gong for a standing moonsault. MJF rolls out of the way, and begins barking orders to Lashley and Benjamin.
Arn Anderson: MJF wants to be in control. The Hurt Syndicate just wants to dominate people. These goals clearly do not always line up.
MVP gives MJF some words of encouragement, trying to calm the generational talent. MJF reenters the ring, and Jay White tags in to a big pop. White puts his hand out for the tie up, but MJF wants none of it and tags in Lashley.
The Almighty steps face to face with White, who gives Lashley a hard shove. Lashley barely budges, before shoving White back hard into his corner. White charges again, but Lashley catches him with a massive fallaway slam, hurling him to the opposite corner!
Arn Anderson: Look at the face of Switchblade Jay White; I don’t think he was expecting Lashley to be so strong!
White gets back to his feet and resets. Lashley charges at him with a clothesline, but White sidesteps it into the sleeper suplex! White uses this as a chance to make the tag to Austin Gunn, trying to keep himself fresh.
Austin charges Lashley with a clothesline. Lashley barely budges. Austin goes for a second one, but Lashley clips him with a shoulder block. He lifts Austin Gunn off the mat and into a military press, raising and lowering Austin an impressive three or four times before sending him flying across the ring.
Arn Anderson: Pound for pound, the Almighty Bobby Lashley may be the strongest man in the business. He’s just toying with Austin Gunn in there!
Kevin Kelly: I was going to say something inappropriate, but Lashley scares me too much for me to make jokes!
Lashley tags in Shelton, who immediately levels Austin with a clothesline. As Austin gets back to his feet, Shelton goes for a kick. Austin blocks it and spins Benjamin around, only for Benjamin to catch him with the dragon whip!
Benjamin sends Austin into the corner and charges with the step-up knee strike. He follows it up with a spinebuster, planting Austin in the center of the ring. He makes the tag to MJF, who immediately covers!
1…
2…
Austin Gunn kicks out.
Kevin Kelly: A nearfall, but the Bullet Club stays alive!
Austin makes it to his corner, and again tags in Jay White. MJF scrambles to again tag out, but White charges him with a shotgun dropkick, followed by a snap suplex! White hits the second rope and connects with a springboard dropkick, knocking Shelton Benjamin off the apron!
Arn Anderson: And a dropkick to the Gold Standard for good measure!
White positions MJF for a back suplex, but MJF throws a low back kick, catching White with a low blow behind the ref’s back! He follows it up with a South Hampton Plunge, into the cover!
1…
2…
White kicks out!
Kevin Kelly: Vintage MJF, who is undoubtedly the dirtiest player in the game!
Arn Anderson: MJF knows how to bend and break the rules without getting caught, and that’s partly why he’s been so successful here in AEW!
MJF lifts White onto his shoulders and drops him with an Argentine backbreaker. He starts to head towards White before having a change of heart; he turns back to his corner and tags Lashley back in! He points at White on the mat and starts barking instructions to Lashley, who looks annoyed.
Still, Lashley comes in like a house on fire. White barely manages to make the tag to Colten Gunn, but as soon as Colten gets in the ring Lashley drills him with a spear that turns him inside out!
Before Lashley can cover Colten, Austin storms the ring and peppers Lashley with rapid fire kicks. Shelton comes in, and referee Michael McMahon is losing control of this one. Benjamin hits a spinning wheel kick to Austin, sending him back to the outside. He grabs ahold of Colten and sends him flying with the high crotch toss.
McMahon finally clears the ring, and we’re back to Lashley and Colten as the legal men. Lashley nearly turns Colten inside out with a powerbomb! Before he can cover, MJF slaps his back and re-enters the ring!
Lashley looks irate, but MVP is trying to keep the peace from the apron. Lashley reluctantly returns to the apron as MJF positions Colten Gunn for the Heatseeker!
He connects, but White makes the blind tag and storms into the ring, catching MJF with a pendulum backbreaker! He goes for the cover!
1…
2…
MJF kicks out!
White lifts MJF up and whips him into the corner. This time, it’s Lashley who makes the uninvited tag, slapping MJF’s back with authority.
Lashley gets in the ring, but MJF is pissed. He gets in Lashley’s face, and just as the two are about to come to blows, White catches them both with running knees!
White covers Lashley, but Benjamin comes in and breaks up the count. MVP is losing it on the outside, telling everyone to keep it together.
Kevin Kelly: This is unraveling, Arn! This deal clearly isn’t sitting right with Lashley, as MJF keeps barking orders to the Hurt Syndicate!
Arn Anderson: At this rate, I’m not sure the deal holds up long enough for MJF to make it to Elite Warfare!
White catches Lashley with a straightjacket brainbuster. He goes for the cover, but Bobby kicks out with authority. Lashley sends White into the Hurt Syndicate’s corner, and begins to unload with shoulder thrusts. MJF slaps his back again, re-entering the match as the legal man.
Lashley cusses at MJF, and tells him if he’s so determined to do this by himself, he can be their guest!
Lashley and Benjamin hop off the apron and begin to head back up the ramp. MJF watches wide-eyed, glaring at MVP.
MJF: Hey! Hey! Where are you going?! MVP! Tell them!
MVP’s eyes meet MJF’s, as MVP shrugs. Suddenly, Jay White spins MJF around… BLADE RUNNER!
1…
2…
3!!!
Winners: The Bullet Club
Match Time: 14:33
Kevin Kelly: The Bullet Club just stole this one!
Arn Anderson: This is what happens when the trust breaks down! MJF couldn’t just be content with the Syndicate honoring their deal, he had to keeping poking them! And now MJF has just learned a very difficult lesson!
Kevin Kelly: What a huge upset, as Switchblade Jay White has just pinned the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion!
Bullet Club celebrate as MJF sits up in disbelief, screaming at MVP on the floor while Lashley and Shelton walk away, expressionless.
The show cuts to Shocker’s office, where he and Splinter are surrounded by papers, monitors, and photos spread across the desk like an evidence board.
Shocker stands behind his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Splinter stands by the door, his arms crossed, watching his brother spiral.
Shocker: [voice low, frayed] Okay, so Benny spirals as soon as Danhausen gets hit. But then Howdy appears, and he’s fine? Tell me that’s a coincidence!
Splinter: You understand now why I kept all their drama at an arm’s length when I held your position? The closer you get to understanding this… the more it sees you.
Shocker: I didn’t want to believe any of the ULW stories… demons… curses… dark forces… every bit of it sounds like a bad fan fiction! But I can’t ignore what this footage shows. I’m done pretending it’s just smoke and mirrors. Whatever hold Danhausen had over Benny, it appears that Howdy has the same.
Splinter: We’re in too deep, brother. We’ve got an obligation to see this through… and obligation? It pulls you further along, whether you want it to or not.
Shocker slams a binder shut.
Shocker: If Splidder would just talk to us! If he’d just tell us what he’s seen… I tried again before the show tonight. He looked me right in the eyes and said that we can either join the Guilty Remnant in their mission, or we can stay out of their way. He’s not going to share anything with us unless we agree with their sick plan…
Splinter: [firm, disgusted] I am not aligning with then. Not now, not ever. Especially if what they’re planning… [he shakes his head in disgust] We can’t let them hurt Megan. That poor girl has been through enough. Sami’s terrified for her, and I can’t blame him.
Shocker raises a brow.
Shocker: It’s still so weird to hear you defending Sami Zayn like this.
Splinter: With what’s coming… old grudges don’t really matter anymore. Besides, Sami’s changed. He just wants his wife back… but it’s clear Howdy wants her, too. He wants to drag her into whatever shadow he calls home.
Shocker: He’s clearly gotten to her, but that hesitation at Sympathy for the Devil? The moment she mouthed she was sorry to Sami before Howdy attacked him? That means she’s still in there, somewhere.
Splinter: Exactly, but how far gone is she? And what does Howdy want with Benny?
Suddenly, the lights snap off.
The room is filled with an instant, suffocating blackness.
There’s a faint electrical hum vibrating through the walls, as something wet drips in the dark.
Shocker: [in the darkness; alarmed] Splinter? Splinter!
Splinter: [in the darkness; grunting] I… I can’t move!
A dim, red glow flickers, relighting the office in it’s sinister gleam. The office doesn’t look as it did just moments before; everything is twisted. Infected, almost. Like a mold has claimed every surface.
The ceiling tiles sag with creeping black vines. A black mold covers most of the walls, as if the room is rotting in real time.
The camera pans to Shocker and Splinter, who are duct taped to their chairs. The tape wraps tightly across their chests, their arms, and their ankles.
The red glow fades; and it’s replaced as a lantern hisses to life on Shocker’s dest.
Uncle Howdy stands inches from them both, the dim light bouncing off his mask.
He reaches for the lantern slowly. As he lifts it, warped shadows sprawl across the decayed office.
Uncle Howdy: [distorted, echoing] LEAVE. IT. BE.
The lantern crackles, and the flame stretches unnaturally. The light bends towards Shocker and Splinter like a reaching hand. Shocker trembles, as Splinter’s eyes widen, realizing there’s nowhere they can go…
Suddenly, the light snaps out.
The room is in total darkness once more.
A long moment passes, before finally the overhead light blasts back on. Bright, almost too bright.
The office is completely restored. Everything is clean, ordinary looking.
Splinter and Shocker, still in the chairs, are no longer covered in the tape. In fact, the tape isn’t there at all! Shocker stumbles forward, grabbing his desk for support. Splinter clutches the arm of his chair, panting, his eyes wide and horrified.
Shocker: [whispering] What the actual fuck? He was… he was right here!
Shocker glares at the office, trying to make sense of what he just saw.
Shocker: That… that wasn’t in my head, right?
Splinter: No, it wasn’t.
The show suddenly cuts to black.
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 