
Winter is coming, and The Opps prosper in this frozen wasteland. Their leader and current Men’s World Champion, Samoa Joe, defends his title against the Mad King Eddie Kingston. Meanwhile, Joe’s cohorts, Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs, face former champions Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page. Elsewhere, the Women’s World Tag Team Championship wraps up this holiday season with Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale taking their wholesome energy against the timeless powers of Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa. The Continental Classic continues with current Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada clashing with former Elite teammate Jack Perry. After trouncing Kevin Knight the week prior, Protostar Kyle Fletcher will battle fellow JetSpeed partner Speedball Bailey.
Follow along with live results from tonight’s card with updated play-by-play and takes from the matches!
Babes of Wrath (Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale) defeated Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa) for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship
Shirakawa and Cameron wrestled to a stalemate and continued until the latter slammed the former’s face into the mat. Storm and Nightingale brawled; Cameron attempted to intervene, but Shirakawa denied her. Shirakawa and Storm coordinated for a backbreaker on Cameron. Storm bodypressed her partner onto the worn-out Cameron, who suplexed her way into a comeback. Nightingale bowled over the Timeless Love Bombs, unleashing some chops right after. She then pounced Storm out of the ring to a huge ovation.
Shirakawa wrecked Nightingale with a Tornado-DDT. Storm proceeded with a simple DDT of her own to Cameron. Nightingale interrupted a Crossface Chickenwing attempt from Storm to Cameron. Shirakawa clutched Cameron with a Figure-Four Leglock and DDT’d Nightingale simultaneously. Storm and Nightingale took turns flipping their partners’ leglocks over until they too engaged in a leglock. Nightingale broke up both of them. Slingblades from Cameron and Shirakawa incapacitated each other’s respective partners. A Storm zero rent Cameron asunder, but Nightingale refused Shirakawa’s resulting pin attempt on her partner. Shirakawa missed a roundhouse kick but succeeded with another. Cameron crumpled Shirakawa with Her Finishing Move. Nightingale finished her off with a Powerbomb. The Babes of Wrath are the first-ever AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions.
Post-match: Renee Paquette congratulated the new title holders. Cameron was visibly emotional as she and Nightingale shared their respect and history with the Georgia fans. Paquette congratulated them once more, also sounding emotional. Shirakawa and Storm grabbed the Babes of Wrath, seemingly to strike, only to shake their hands and embrace.
(Very intense match, befitting of a tournament final. Loved every minute.)
Joe proclaimed himself as not the same man that Kingston looked up to. He concluded by stating he’d show the Mad King “the reality of what this industry is.”
Moxley emphatically announced that what keeps the Death Riders strong is their hunger. Daniel Garcia added to it, saying much of the same.
Perry instantly cornered the Rainmaker, throwing elbows and his shoulders at the Unified Champion. Okada hurled Perry into the barricade courtesy of an Irish Whip. The Jurassic Express member landed an elbow drop that further haunted Okada. Unfortunately for Perry, Okada regained his momentum via a dropkick, toppling him from the top rope.
Both of the former Elite members traded elbows. Okada bullied Perry, who retaliated with a running lariat. Perry evaded Okada’s DDT and grabbed a comeback with a German suplex. A recuperated Okada responded with a Neckbreaker, followed by an elbow drop. Okada released an onslaught of devastating moves, which Perry survived to deliver a dropkick and a running knee. Attempting a Tombstone, Okada instead doubled over after Perry attacked his nether regions. One rope break saved Okada from a Snare Trap. In one brief moment, Perry considered a chair shot to his opponent, but thought better of it; he’d have been disqualified.
At last, one Rainmaker landed on Perry. Withstanding a Tornado-DDT attempt, Okada used the damage inflicted on his opponent to snatch a win via a Rainmaker.
Post-match: Don Callis and his Family helped Perry to his feet. Callis offered a place in the Family and a one-time signing bonus using the hand-me-down money from the Young Bucks. He then threatened to harm Perry and put him in a chair. Ultimately, Perry rejected the offer, assaulting Mark Davis and Hechicero before the rest of the Family stomped him out. Luchasaurus strolled to the ring, seemingly hesitant to help. It was a ruse, as the Young Bucks assaulted Clon, Okada, and Hechicero from behind. The Bucks blasted Okada with a BTE Trigger. Callis sacrificed his money for his safety. Takeshita took the brunt of Jurassic Express and Young Bucks’ offense so Callis could escape.
(Perry looked incredible against Okada, altering the vibes of a foregone conclusion. Great effort from both men.)
Renee Paquette asked how Kingston was feeling ahead of his title opportunity. He responded that he was nervous. Adding that tonight is the anniversary that Terry Funk won his first championship, he hoped to make the late wrestler proud. Kingston finished his speech, informing Joe that he’d be in for the fight of his life.
Tony Schiavone greeted Briscoe as the pair celebrated his title reign thus far. Briscoe addressed his naysayers, stating they can “kiss my white a--”, which began a crowd chant. The fans in Atlanta then booed as Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and Marina Shafir met him in the ring. Garcia promised to break Briscoe’s leg on the December 13 episode of AEW Collision. The pair traded verbal barbs until Briscoe shoved Garcia to the mat. Shafir and Yuta had to hold him back.
Thekla, Skye Blue, and Julia Hart assaulted two fellow wrestlers. Kris Statlander came to their aid, chasing off the trio with a steel chair.
Page and Strickland strutted through the crowd as Hobbs and Shibata sent the young members of The Opps Dojo. Strickland punctured some Dojo members with a staple gun, whereas Page wrapped a chain around his fist and let them fly. Hobbs swung a chair at the former Men’s World Champion as they ascended up some stairs. Meanwhile, Strickland choked Shibata with a chain in the Gateway Arena’s concourse. Hobbs desecrated a liquor bar and dismantled a Christmas tree. Page recovered, laying out the Powerhouse before taking a drink. Back at the concourse, Shibata placed Strickland on a chair, booting him down.
Shibata booted Strickland into the crowd back at the ringside. The match finally started with Page and Hobbs meeting in the ring. However, Page found himself cornered and worn as The Opps united in some bullying offense. Shibata struck Page with his signature dropkick and a Penalty Kick. Hobbs sought to take advantage of the 2-on-1 situation, but Prince Nana distracted him to allow Strickland to kick him in the head. Strickland got his revenge on Shibata, shooting off like a corkscrew from the top rope.
Hobbs prevented a House Call from Strickland. Page aimed a Buckshot Lariat at Shibata, who wriggled around to deliver a low blow as Hobbs distracted the referee. A Swerve Stomp broke up Shibata’s hold on Page. Backed into each other, Page and Strickland fought back against The Opps, coordinating Page’s horizontal suplex into Strickland’s 450 Splash. The babyface team shared an intense stare before double-powerbombing Hobbs through a chair. Page and Strickland finished Shibata with a Buckshot Lariat + House Call.
(What an opener and what a finish. There’s chemistry in Strickland and Page as a tag team.)
Callis bemoaned The Young Bucks and Jack Perry rejecting his offer to join the Don Callis Family.
Hathaway accused the cameraman and the viewers of being addicted to narcotics. He then announced a World Tag Team Championship opportunity to Juice Robinson and Colten Gunn against FTR on the December 13 episode of AEW Collision.
Both competitors ducked and dodged each other’s fast-paced offense. They traded pin attempts, but quickly reached an impasse. Flethcer gained the upper hand, emphasized by a double-stomp to Bailey’s hands. Speedball landed a crisp hurricanrana through the ropes. Bailey perched Fletchre on the barricade, who had to slam his opponent’s back onto the barricade.
Fletcher gasped following a gnarly knee drop from Bailey. They then delivered a hurricanrana to Fletcher from the top rope. Fletcher foiled Bailey’s Shooting Star Press by raising his knees. Bailey narrowly withstood a Pop-Up Powerbomb. He collapsed when Bailey kicked out of the subsequent pin attempt. Trading chest shots, both wrestlers then resorted to a barter of kicks that led to a mad dash of counters. Time was running out, and even one of Bailey’s dropkicks could seal the deal. Pulling out an Ultima Weapon, Bailey watched in terror as Fletcher survived again. Powerbombing Bailey on the ring apron, Fletcher wrecked them with a Brainbuster, which they survived much to Atlanta’s astonishment. With one minute remaining, Bailey trapped Fletcher in a roll-up that tied his wrists together.
(Wow. That match was something else. That rush in the final moments, concluding with exhilaration, left me in awe. Pure magic was made in Atlanta tonight.)
Regardless of whether Eddie Kingston or Samoa Joe won tonight, Page declared he’d be watching and ready for either man as he climbs his way back to the title picture.
Matt and Nick Jackson requested Luchasaurus join them in their upcoming match with the Don Callis Family. The dinosaur objected, suggesting they ask Kenny Omega instead. The brothers then asked Omega to pair up, offering a fair portion of his family. Omega retorted that he’d do it for free just to harm the Don Callis Family.
Both men locked up, with Joe flinging Kingston into the ropes. Hook caught Kingston by the leg, causing the referee to evict him from the ringside. Joe hurled Kingston in an effortless suplex. He rained quick jabs onto the Mad King’s jaw. Kingston recuperated in enough time to plant the champion with a Bulldog. They resorted to brawling, with Joe succumbing to several body blows.
Joe fired back with some kicks and strikes, seeking to use his weight and momentum to topple the Mad King. A lariat decapitated the champion, rattling him for a time. Kingston charged, yet Joe planted him to the mat all the same. A confident Joe pressed his foot into Kingston’s jaw, grinding it against the turnbuckle. Joe battled a dazed and blind Kingston, who meekly fell to the mat. Chops and lariats tenderized an unflinching yet dizzied Joe, who regained control with a powerslam.
Ferocity erupted in Kingston, withstanding the knees and Kawada Kicks from Joe. The challenger managed an Exploder Suplex that propelled him inches away from victory. Joe responded with an Attitude Adjustment and STF in a tribute to John Cena. Kingston’s backfist was caught by Joe, who pulled him in for a Coquina Clutch. Kingston tapped out, nearly fading to unconsciousness.
(That is a main event I can get behind. Highly physical with no weapons, no high-flying acrobatics, and minimal interference. Two men of a generation built on proving wrestling’s worth beyond a monopoly, giving a hellacious effort. Whoo boy.)
Most of the matches tonight hit on such a high level that it’s hard to choose a favorite. The Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament ended with a bang. Hangman and Swerve had an aura-filled entrance. And the meatfest between Samoa Joe and Eddie Kingston was more than I hoped for. I think the standout for most will be the bout between Speedball Bailey and Kyle Fletcher, particularly with that upset win.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!