It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means …
All Elite Wrestling returns from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas for their annual year-end “Holiday Bash” themed edition of Dynamite on TBS.
On tap for tonight’s AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash 2022 show is the next chapter in The Book of Hobbs, Ricky Starks and Bryan Danielson will appear live, rapper Rick Ross will mediate the Face-to-Face Meeting between Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland, as well as AAA & IWGP Tag Team Champions FTR vs. The Gunn Club.
Also scheduled for the show this evening is AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter defends against Hikaru Shida and there will be a No DQ match, the fifth in the Best of 7 Series for the AEW World Trios Championships with Death Triangle (3) vs. The Elite (1).
Featured below are complete AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash results from Wednesday, December 21, 2022. The following report was written by Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) of PWMania.com as the show aired live on TBS.
AEW DYNAMITE: HOLIDAY BASH RESULTS (12/21/2022)
This week’s show kicks off with the usual AEW Dynamite cold-open video package and accompanying theme music. From there, we shoot inside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas where Excalibur does the “It’s Wednesday night, and you know what that means …” catchphrase.
Excalibur is joined by Tony Schiavone and Taz on commentary for this week’s special Holiday Bash themed edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS. The trio welcome us to the show and then we head down to the squared circle for our opening action.
Ricky Starks Turns Down J.A.S., Action Andretti Helps Him With Attack
We hear the familiar sounds of the recent AEW Championship challenger and “Absolute” Ricky Starks heads down to the ring to start things off on this week’s special holiday-themed episode.
Starks talks about coming up short in his attempt to capture the title from Maxwell Jacob Friedman on last week’s show. He talks about how he was screwed in his long-awaited opportunity but says he’s only getting started and vows that the title will one day be his.
From there, he goes to continue talking but he is interrupted by the familiar sounds of the “Judas in my Mind” tune by Fozzy. On that note, out comes “The Ocho” Chris Jericho accompanied by fellow Jericho Appreciation Society (J.A.S.) members Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia.
The trio stand at the top of the entrance stage for what feels like an eternity, as they wait out the packed house inside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX. to finish their sing-along with the theme song of the former ROH World Champion.
Jericho finally begins speaking. “Ricky, Ricky, Ricky … I’ve been watching you for a long time,” he starts. He says Starks is not a dollar store version of anybody. He calls him a “million dollar talent” that he “guarantees will be world champion some day.” He says Starks isn’t ready just quite yet.
Eventually the pro wrestling legend mentions to Starks that he spoke it over with “The Spanish God” and Garcia, he is proud to offer “Absolute” a spot in the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Starks finally responds. He mentions how it’s nice to pull a compliment out of Jericho, but then goes on to insult the hell out of him and the rest of the J.A.S. faction that is standing at his side at the top of the entrance aisle.
“Absolute” Starks credits Jericho for staying relevant for so long but then goes on to call him a “Clout Vampire” who leeches off of promising future stars and milks their charisma and popularity with the wrestling fans to keep him in the relevancy conversation.
Ricky also mentions how Jericho’s stock has dropped after not only losing the ROH World Championship to Claudio Castagnoli at ROH Final Battle 2022, but also because he lost to a newcomer in Action Andretti on last week’s AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming 2022 special event.
“The ‘J’ in ‘J.A.S.’ might as well stand for ‘jobbers,'” Starks quips. Jericho responds after Starks digs into Guevara and Garcia as well, and he tells Starks that what he said was the “wrong answer.” He then sets in motion a sneak attack of “Absolute” by J.A.S. members.
We see Action Andretti finally run down to make the save, chasing off Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia and Chris Jericho and sending them retreating to the back as he and a recovered Ricky Starks stand tall. Starks’ theme plays to end the opening segment and the commentators run down the advertised lineup for tonight’s show.
Match No. 5 Of Best Of 7 Series (No DQ)
The Elite (1) vs. Death Triangle (3)
After the commentators wrap up the rundown for tonight’s AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash 2022 special themed event, we head back inside the Freeman Coliseum where “The Dapper Yapper” Justin Roberts begins the ring introductions of the two teams involved in our opening match of the evening.
With that said, The Elite trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) make their way down to the ring to a big reaction from the Texas crowd. They settle inside the ring and do their three-man pose for the fans as their tune wraps up.
Now the familiar sounds of the entrance music of Death Triangle plays. As fire and pyro explodes and the fans inside the San Antonio-based venue erupt, we see AEW Trios Champions “The Bastard” PAC and The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) make their way down to the ring.
As the bell sounds, we get this highly-anticipated Best Of 7 Series match underway. The fifth and what could be the final match in the series with a win from Death Triangle, will feature a no disqualification stipulation, as announced when Kenny Omega issued the challenge last week after encouraging the legality of weapons during their next showdown.
We see some good back-and-forth action early on and then things spill out to the ringside area on the floor outside of the squared circle. After the Death Triangle members hit some crowd-pleasing high-spots, we head to a mid-match commercial break as they continue to dominate the action.
When we return from the break, we see a giant Christmas tree set up in the corner of the ring. Jackson is thrown back-first into the sharp pine-needle-covered holiday decoration. The other members of The Elite are also rammed into the Christmas tree as the fans go nuts.
The opposite corner of the ring sees a steel chair wedged between the top-and-middle turnbuckles. They ram a member of The Elite into the chair as well and then PAC puts the chair around the already-injured ankle of Nick Jackson.
He heads to the top-rope with intentions of leaping off and stomping on the chair to badly-break the ankle of The Young Bucks tag-team member. Before he can jump, however, he is smashed in the dome by a trash can that Kenny Omega threw across the ring to help his Elite brother out.
Omega goes on a nice offensive run and once again uses the trash can when he climbs to the top-rope with it and hits a moonsault-splash onto PAC while holding the steel trash can.
He goes for the cover immediately after connecting with the high-risk spot, however “The Bastard” manages to kick-out before the referee can reach the count of three.
A barbed-wire covered bat or pipe is brought into the ring by Omega and “The Cleaner” proceeds to bash it onto Rey Fenix. It sticks to Fenix after the first swat and blasts him after the second.
Now we see Penta El Zero Miedo laid out across a table set up at ringside on the floor. PAC is also laid out on a second table placed right next to the one that Penta is laid out on. We see Nick and Matt Jackson head to the top-rope on opposing corners facing the same part of the ringside-area.
They each jump and put the Death Triangle members through the respective tables that were laid out on. They bring them into the ring and try and finish this one off, however the Death Triangle trio hang on.
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega throw the Christmas tree used earlier in the match out of the ring. We see a BTE Trigger attempted by The Elite, however it is stopped when Alex Abrahantes grabs the leg of Omega from the floor. Omega breaks free and is left alone in the ring with Fenix.
He connects with a V-Trigger but when he goes for the One-Winged Angel, Fenix counters with a hurricanrana into a pin attempt for a count of two. A hammer is once again introduced to a match involving these two teams, as Fenix blasts Omega with a hammer and goes for the cover.
“The Cleaner” somehow kicks out after the count of two. The fans explode when they realize this one isn’t over yet. Fenix slaps an ankle lock on Nick Jackson’s bum wheel. Right next to him we see PAC choking out Omega.
Matt Jackson is fighting with Penta but eventually beats him down, which frees him up to help his partners before either of them tap out and end the match, and Best of 7 Series, with a loss. He quickly kicks and stomps on PAC and Fenix to free his Elite brothers from the submission holds they were stuck in.
Finally, we see a spiked pile-driver from The Elite lead to the pin fall and three-count from the referee.
Winners and IMPROVING to 2-3 deficit in Best Of 7 Series for AEW Trios Championships: The Elite
After The Match: Death Triangle Savagely Attacks The Elite
The Elite pick up the much-needed victory and make the Best Of 7 Series score a little more even, as The Elite now sit with a score of two, to Death Triangle’s three.
The sixth match in the series is being hyped while we see Death Triangle proceed to viciously and violently attack The Elite after the match ends. We see PAC, Fenix and Penta aggressively attacking Omega and The Young Bucks, busting them all over and turning their respective faces into a trio of very dark-red crimson masks.
The fans boo as Death Triangle’s post-match assault continues for what seems like forever, and starts to get a bit out-of-hand in terms of the violence-level. The post-match scene finally wraps up after a bunch of officials rush to the scene to break things up.
MJF Addresses Bryan Danielson
We shoot backstage where AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman is shown. He talks to the camera and addresses his title defense over “Absolute” Ricky Starks on last week’s AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming 2022 special edition of the weekly Wednesday night program.
He then comments on “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson of the Blackpool Combat Club sticking his nose in his business after the match. He loses his cool when addressing Danielson and vows revenge. After this wraps up, we head to another commercial break.
Tony Schiavone Talks To Action Andretti
We return from the break to Tony Schiavone standing by in the AEW interview zone with newcomer Action Andretti. He brings up his exciting upset victory over Chris Jericho on last week’s AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming 2022 show.
Andretti says some are calling it the biggest upset and best debut in AEW history, and some referring to it with even more prestige. As he continues to talk, he addresses the opening segment with J.A.S. sneak-attacking Ricky Starks.
The newcomer to the scene in AEW brings up helping “Absolute” and how it felt being out there during that moment.
Finally, we see the J.A.S. members confront Andretti and they end up utilizing some “real-life wizard” skills from their leader, “The Ocho,” by throwing a fireball in the grill of the rookie sensation. Jericho taunts and verbally lashes out at Andretti as he rolls around on the ground after the fireball hits his face and explodes.
Renee Paquette Interviews “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson
We head back inside the Freeman Coliseum where Renee Paquette is in the ring. She introduces her guest at this time, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. The Blackpool Combat Club member makes his way to the ring to a ton of cheers and chants from the AEW fans in attendance.
Danielson’s theme dies down and Paquette asks “The American Dragon” about his ongoing issues with the reigning AEW World Champion MJF.
“The American Dragon” goes on to mention how he was trained by Shawn Michaels and others nearby in the Texas-area they are in tonight in San Antonio.
The local fans explode for that little factoid and then we hear Danielson explain how much William Regal has not only meant to the pro wrestling industry as a whole, but also from a personal standpoint with his own career.
He continues and brings up how exciting it was when he learned that Regal was coming to All Elite Wrestling. He says one thing Regal taught him is that there are consequences to people’s actions.
He then turns and talks directly into the camera and gets more fired up as he tells MJF directly that there will be consequences to the actions he made when he savagely sneak-attacked Regal after introducing his new AEW Championship belt in his first AEW TV appearance after defeating Jon Moxley, with Regal’s help, at the AEW Full Gear 2022 pay-per-view.
When Danielson continues to talk, he is interrupted by the sounds of “All Ego” Ethan Page’s theme music. Page makes his way out accompanied by Stokely Hathaway.
Jon Moxley Addresses “Hangman” Adam Page & Darius Martin
We shoot backstage where Jon Moxley is shown pacing back-and-forth. He begins the backstage segment talking directly into the camera about the $300,000 Three Kings Christmas Casino Trios Royale match announced for this week’s AEW Rampage: Holiday Bash 2022 special event.
From there, Mox addresses his ongoing issues and many random brawls with “Hangman” Adam Page before turning his attention to his opponent for a one-on-one singles match scheduled for later tonight — Darius Martin.
After Mox wraps up the quick backstage promo segment, we head to another commercial break.
Samoa Joe Addresses Wardlow
When we return from the break, “The King of TV” is shown in a lounge-area room. He has one of his titles draped over his shoulder and he begins addressing some issues as he talks directly into the camera.
The AEW TNT Champion and ROH TV Champion addresses his ongoing issues with his former WarJoe tag-team member, former TNT Champion Wardlow. He tells Wardlow that this isn’t “Wardlow’s World” and promises that the former Team Taz member and MJF bodyguard that he will not have a Happy New Year’s.
FTW Championship
Hook (C) vs. Exodous Prime
We head back inside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX. where “The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil” is introduced. On that note, the FTW Champion Hook makes his way out to the sounds of Action Bronson.
He settles inside the squared-circle and his music dies down. His opponent, newcomer to the scene on AEW TV Exodous Prime, is already waiting for him.
The bell sounds and we’re off-and-running with this one-on-one contest, which marks the first Dynamite match for Hook dating back to mid/late-July. Hook quickly takes out the newcomer and uses his Red Rum submission to secure the fast victory.
Winner and STILL FTW Champion: Hook
Hook Forced To Watch As Jungle Boy Jack Perry Attacked
Once the match wraps up, we see some commotion from outside of the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX. that has broken out.
We see “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry viciously attacked and slammed into a dumpster as Stokely Hathaway and others taunt the FTW Champion, who came to Perry’s aid on last week’s show. After this, we head to another commercial break.
Jon Moxley vs. Darius Martin
As we settle back in from the break, we hear the familiar sounds of “Wild Thing” playing. As the entrance tune for the former AEW World Champion and Blackpool Combat Club member Jon Moxley plays, he makes his way to the ring through the crowd with his custom ring entrance.
The fans in San Antonio go nuts as he settles inside the squared circle for our next match of the evening here on the special holiday-themed episode of AEW Dynamite.
We see Darius Martin of Top Flight also in the ring and now the bell sounds to officially get this one off-and-running.
After some good back-and-forth action in the early goings, we see Martin start to fare better than many would think against someone the caliber of “The Purveyor of Violence.”
Ultimately, Mox ends up shifting the offensive momentum into his favor and he starts beating down the Top Flight tag-team member. He hits a big paradigm shift on Martin and then slaps on a Bulldog Choke before letting go and hitting his Death Rider finisher for the pin fall victory. After the match, we head to another commercial break.
Winner: Jon Moxley
The Latest Chapter In ‘The Book Of Hobbs’
When we return from the break, we see the latest chapter in the ongoing “Book Of Hobbs” vignette-series. Powerhouse Hobbs talks more about his brutal upbringing, including how he watched his parents over-dose on drugs and choke on their own blood in front of him.
He mentions being shot at and other dangerous criminal-lifestyle situations he has endured since childhood and then switches gears to use it as supporting claims as to why he’s going to dominate in AEW, using that as motivation and a reminder of what life is waiting for him if he fails.
FTR vs. The Gunn Club
Now we head back inside the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX. where The Gunn Club duo of Austin and Colten Gunn make their way out and head to the ring for our next match of the evening.
As they settle inside the squared circle and their music dies down, we hear the familiar sounds of the reigning IWGP and AAA Tag-Team Champions, FTR. The tag-team duo consisting of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler make their way to the ring to a huge pop from the Texas crowd.
The bell sounds and we’re off-and-running with this one. We see Harwood and Gunn kicking things off for their respective teams. The two lock-up and this match is now underway here on AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash hour number two.
We see both FTR members still heavily taped up after their double dog-collar showdown against The Briscoes at the ROH Final Battle 2022 pay-per-view.
After some good back-and-forth early action, we head to a mid-match commercial break as this tag-team tilt continues.
When we settle back in from the commercial break, we see things build to a big spot where a Spike pile-driver attempt on the floor by the Gunn Club but Wheeler of FTR comes through the middle rope with a flying elbow to help Harwood avoid the dangerous spot.
From there, we see Colten shove Dax into the stairs back-first as Austin drops Cash on the guard rail throat-first. Austin in the ring now mocks DX before locking the Sharpshooter on the FTR member.
Now we see Wheeler hit the ring to make the much-needed save. He dumps Austin to the floor and then Cash tries to follow with an elbow off the apron but misses and crashes and burns on the guard rail.
Finally, we build to the finishing sequence where Harwood tries to power-bomb Colten Gunn but his back gives out on him. We see Harwood try for a roll-up soon after, however Colten rolls all-the-way through and holds onto the ropes for added leverage to steal the win.
Winners: The Gunn Club
Sonjay Dutt Freestyle Rap To The Acclaimed
Once the tag-team match wraps up, we shoot to a special video package which features Sonjay Dutt.
Dutt does a freestyle rap in similar fashion to the music videos released by The Acclaimed duo of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens.
The Acclaimed theme is the music in the background that Dutt raps over, freestyle rhyming and dissing Caster, Bowens and “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn in the process.
Rick Ross Mediates Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland Discussion
Now we head to the ring where hip-hop mega-star Rick Ross is introduced. The rap star is shown in the ring where he is scheduled to serve as mediator for a discussion between “Swerve in our Glory” tag-team partners Keith Lee and Shane “Swerve” Strickland.
In the ring with the aforementioned rap superstar is AEW commentary team member Tony Schiavone. Keith Lee is brought out first. Rick Ross drops an “F-bomb” on the live television broadcast as he also introduces the young legend, Shane “Swerve” Strickland.
The heel Strickland shows up with a steel chair in-hand, and makes it clear that he’s not doing things on Keith Lee’s terms or timetable. He says Keith Lee needs to be focused and keep eyes in the back of his head from now.
From there, we see Parker Boudreaux hit the scene and he attacks Keith Lee from behind, but ends up getting clotheslined out of the ring for his efforts. After this, Rick Ross calls Strickland an icon and a legend and Lee ends up going after him on the entrance ramp, only to be attacked by an unknown new talent covered in tattoos.
We then see Boudreaux drop Lee with a chair shot to the back and the two laid him on the ring steps with a cinder-block on his ribs.
Strickland hit a double Swerve Stomp off the top-rope through the cinder-block as Rick Ross, Swerve, Boudreaux and the new tattooed mystery man wear matching Mogul Affiliates shirts.
AEW Women’s Championship
Jamie Hayter (C) vs. Hikaru Shida
Now it’s main event time here on the AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash 2022 special holiday-themed year-end installment of the weekly two-hour AEW on TBS television program.
The AEW Women’s Championship will be on-the-line in our headline bout of the evening, as AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter defends her title in a one-on-one showdown with former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.
We see Hayter and Shida make their respective ring entrances and then after the formal pre-match introductions are read by “The Dapper Yapper” Justin Roberts for this championship main event contest, the bell sounds to get this one officially off-and-running.
In the end, we see the Rip-Cord from Hayter result in a pin fall victory. With the win, Jamie Hayter manages to retain her AEW Women’s Championship in an absolutely epic mainevent battle here on the Holiday Bash 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.
The win for Hayter took three huge shots with a foreign object and the aforementioned Rip-Cord to finish things off and get her the win.
Winner and STILL AEW Women’s Champion: Jamie Hayter
After The Match: Saraya Runs Off Jamie Hayter, Rebel & Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
Once the match wraps up, the commentators gush about how excellent the match was and claim that fans will remember this one for a long time to come.
After the post-match scene wraps up, we see Hayter and company continue the heel antics with an attack after the bout. This leads to Toni Storm running out, only to get blasted and busted open for her efforts.
Finally, the theme music for Saraya sounds and the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, TX. nearly loses its’ roof as the fans explode as the longtime WWE veteran formerly known as Paige sprints to the ring.
Saraya helps Storm and Shida fight off the trio of Jamie Hayter, Rebel and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. She sends them retreating up the entrance ramp and to the back as she stands tall in the ring. That’s how this week’s show goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!
#AEWDynamite: #HolidayBash TONIGHT at 8/7c on TBS
•Best of 7 Match 5: #DeathTriangle v #theElite
•AEW Women's World Title: Hayter v Shida
•#FTR v #theGunns
•#theBoss @rickross mediates @RealKeithLee face-to-face w/ @swerveconfident
•@bryandanielson+#RickyStarks appear Live pic.twitter.com/xu3p9Th7Cc— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 21, 2022
