Swerve defends against Strong on Dynamite on TSN2
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AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland puts his title on the line against Roderick Strong. Plus, the Blackpool Combat Club take on a CMLL all-star team and MJF returns. You can catch AEW Dynamite LIVE at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2, streaming on the TSN App and on TSN.ca.
AEW World Heavyweight Championship match: Swerve Strickland (c) (w/ Prince Nana) vs. Roderick Strong (w/ Matt Taven, Mike Bennett and Wardlow) - Roderick Strong has only been without gold around his waist for 10 days, but that could change on Wednesday night. After defeating Lio Rush on Collision, Strong confronted AEW president Tony Khan in the back and complained that he was supposed to be an entrant in last Wednesday's Casino Gauntlet Match on Dynamite, but Will Ospreay pinned Orange Cassidy before he could enter. Furious with missing out on a guaranteed AEW World Championship match at Forbidden Door, Strong asked for a shot at Swerve Strickland's title and Khan surprisingly agreed. The former AEW International Champion, who lost his crown to Ospreay at Double or Nothing, now gets his shot at Strickland on Dynamite. It will be a first-ever meeting between the two competitors. For Strong, it's the opportunity to add yet another championship to a trophy cabinet full of them. Strong is a former ROH World Champion, ROH World TV Champion and ROH World Tag Team Champion (with Austin Aries). In WWE, Strong won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, NXT North American Championship and NXT Tag Team Championship (as part of Undisputed Era with Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole and Bobby Fish). He is also a former PWG World Champion and PWG World Tag Team Champion (with PAC, Jack Evans and Davey Richards). Strong will undoubtedly provide a stiff test for Strickland, who's proven to be a fighting champion since defeating Samoa Joe at Dynasty in April. The match will mark Strickland's third defence, having previously defeated Claudio Castagnoli and Christian Cage. He enters Wednesday's match having not lost in singles action since Dec. 13 in a Continental Classic match against Jon Moxley. As is the case with any match involving the Undisputed Kingdom, outside interference could play a big role in the proceedings. Swerve will have to keep an eye out for Mike Bennett, Matt Taven and Wardlow on the outside. Can Strickland stay on course for his defence at Forbidden Door or will Strong bring the world title back to the Undisputed Kingdom?
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Blackpool Combat Club (IWGP World Champion Jon Moxley, "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA) vs. Los Depredadores (Volador Jr. and Mexican National Tag Team Champions Rugido and Magnus) and Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion Esfinge - For the first time since Nov. 15, Wheeler YUTA will be in action on Dynamite. The former ROH Pure Champion is making his return after being on the shelf since January with an injury. It will be right back into the cauldron for YUTA as he teams with the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club - Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli - to take on a CMLL all-star team of Los Depredadores' Volador Jr., Rugido and Magnus and Esfinge. The match will mark Moxley's final tune-up ahead of defending his IWGP World Championship in a lumberjack death match against the House of Torture's EVIL at Dominion on Sunday. It's a return to AEW for the CMLL quartet after all four made their debuts for the promotion earlier this year where they previously did battle with the BCC. Volador was on the losing end of a pair of trios matches against the BCC while teaming with Hechicero and Mascara Dorada. The team of Esfinge and Star Jr. fell to Moxley and Castagnoli in February. Rugido lost to Castagnoli in singles action. Magnus defeated Matt Sydal to qualify for the AEW World Title No. 1 Contendership All-Star Scramble Match at Revolution, a match ultimately won by Wardlow. Looking to improve their AEW records, the CMLL team is perhaps catching the BCC at the right time. YUTA is fresh off of injury, Mox has a big title match on the horizon and Danielson is undoubtedly still feeling the effects of the hellacious Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing. Could this be just the opening they need to pull off a victory on AEW turf?
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"The Glamour" Mariah May (w/ AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm and Luther) vs. Saraya (w/ Harley Cameron and Zak Knight) - In a match delayed by a week from last week's Dynamite, Saraya takes on Mariah May in a battle of English competitors. Two weeks ago on Dynamite, the team of May and Toni Storm defeated Saraya and Harley Cameron in tag-team action with May helping to put Cameron away with her Mayday Death Valley Driver. This will be the first singles match between the two women and it's Saraya's first solo action of 2024. In her last singles match on the Dec. 20 edition of Dynamite, the former AEW Women's World Champion fell to Riho in a No. 1 contendership match. Saraya heads into the match on a seven-match losing streak in singles action with her last win coming in a title defence over Storm on the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 20. May, on the other hand, is red-hot. Since her AEW debut in January, the former Goddess of Stardom Champion is 10-4 and a winner of three straight matches. Most recently, she defeated Leyla Hirsch on the May 25 Collision. May is still looking for her first title match in AEW and it seems like one will be coming sooner than later. Can Saraya snap her skid or will May continue her march to gold?
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PLUS:
- After his return at Double or Nothing, Maxwell Jacob Friedman makes his return to Dynamite for the first time since Dec. 31
- We will hear from the For the World Champion "The Learning Tree" Chris Jericho (w/ Big Bill and "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith)