All Elite Wrestling (AEW) kick-started a three-week residency at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia with a super-charged live episode of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday night. The Jacksonville, Florida-based wrestling company returns to domestic soil after several international shows, including AEW Forbidden Door London, the most recent pay-per-view.
The fallout from the most recent event was scattered throughout the company’s return to American soil. After a bit of international travel, AEW talent and crew will be able to stay in one place for a moment with a total of seven shows in Philadelphia over the three weeks at the former home of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) at this very arena.
First Night Fireworks on Wednesday
AEW owner Tony Khan pulled out all of the stars from Adam Copeland opening the show to Darby Allin ending things on a high note for the first of seven shows at the legendary wrestling venue. The intimate wrestling venue accommodates approximately 1,300 wrestling fans and is well-suited for television broadcast. However, everyone inside the South Swanson Street arena had an up-close and personal view of some of the best wrestling stars on the planet.
“We know that Tony Khan has been to 2300 Arena, so he knows what he has to deliver in order to make the audience happy,” AEW star “Speedball” Mike Bailey told Philadelphia Sports Network ahead of Wednesday’s show. “I feel like AEW always fulfills their promises. You can expect some unbelievable action over the next few weeks.” The first event at the former ECW Arena certainly did not disappoint.
FTR (Daniel “Cash” Wheeler and Dax Harwood) started the night barking about injustice during AEW Forbidden Door before being run out of the ring following a brawl with Adam Copeland and Christian. Cope & Christian, C&C for short, challenge FTR to a match at AEW All Out in their hometown of Toronto, Canada, in a few weeks.
AEW superstars Adam Copeland and Christian
Death Riders’ leader Jon Moxley prevailed in a hard-hitting fight over Daniel Garcia before the Death Riders’ accomplice Wheeler Yuta, a Philadelphia native, started running his mouth on the microphone. Suddenly, the lights went out, and a spotlight “H” hit the wall. HOOK returned to AEW before dropping Wheeler with a Superman Punch to send Yuta running.
MJF did not appear on Wednesday to cut a promo and warn “Hangman” Adam Page that he isn’t entirely in the rearview mirror just yet after losing in London. Kris Statlander & Harley Cameron downed Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford in a hard-hitting tag match. Bayne hit Statlander with a cheap shot after the match ended and caused Willow Nightengale to run in from the locker room area to make the save.
Mercedes Mone paraded around her NINE championship titles during an in-ring interview with Renee Paquette. Mone stated that she is chasing Ultimo Dragon’s record of 10 titles and intends to surpass it.
Mark Briscoe cut a promo and apologized to the crowd for not appearing in Philly, but he stated he had a good reason and announced the birth of his new son, Mack Briscoe, to cheers from the crowd. Briscoe challenged Kyle Fletcher to a TNT Championship match at some point towards the end of the residency in Philadelphia. This will be the fifth match between Briscoe and Fletcher; both men have scored two victories each.
AEW superstar Mike “Speedball” Bailey
The Don Callis Family (Konosuke, Takeshita, Kazuchika Okada, Hechicero, and Josh Alexander) scored a roll-up victory over the team of JetSpeed (“Speedball” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight) and Brodido (Brody King and ROH World Champion Bandido), the AEW World Tag Team Champions. Alexander pinned “Speedball” Mike Bailey on a quick roll-up for the pinfall victory.
“Hangman” Adam Page, the AEW World Champion, had his promo interrupted by Don Callis, who threatened to take away Page’s title. The Don Callis Family hit the ring to attack “Hangman” before Kenny Omega arrived to save the champ in front of a surprised Philadelphia crowd.
AEW World Trios Champions The Opps (Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Ricochet and Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) in an entertaining six-man tag match. The Philly crowd had a ton of fun with bald chants towards Richochet, as many of AEW crowds have done lately, including an Eagles-inspired “B-A-L-D-I-E, BALDIE” chant that drew a wry smile from the Richochet.
In the main event, Darby Allin earned a pinfall victory over Claudio Castagnoli in a Falls Count Anywhere that left a wake of broken tables and bent chairs in its path of destruction. The Death Riders made a third appearance on the night, but a victorious Allin escaped into the darkness to close the show.
After the event went off the air, Khan led a lovely tribute for ECW legend Taz, who was joined by his son (HOOK) and his wife. The “Human Suplex Machine” will be honored with a banner being lifted to the rafters on Saturday’s episode of AEW Collision. “I’ve been blessed to have great memories in this building,” an emotional Taz said to the crowd. “Like great, amazing memories, some bad ones, but mostly all good, you know? But mostly all great, actually, and I’ve been very blessed, and I’m blessed to be in this company [AEW].”
AEW ring
2300 Arena Set for a Collision on Saturday
There are six more shows to come during AEW’s residency at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. The next event is AEW Collision, scheduled for August 30. AEW Dynamite returns on Sept 3, before Ring of Honor (ROH) Death Before Dishonor occurs on Sept. 5. The next night, AEW Collision airs again in its usual Saturday spot (on Sept 6). Finally, another round of AEW Dynamite (on the usually scheduled Wed., Sept. 10) and Collision (taped on Thurs., Sept. 11) will close out this exceptional three-week stay on South Sansom Street.
Tickets are still available for most, if not all, events. Please visit the AEW’s website on Etix.com for additional details.