Bengaluru, September 8: This week's episode of AEW Dynamite kicked off with AEW President Tony Khan announcing that he's forced to strip CM Punk of the AEW World Championship.
In addition, The Young Bucks - Matt and Nick Jackson alongside Kenny Omega were also forced to vacate the AEW World Trios Championship. All these champions won their belts at AEW All Out 2022 but the aftermath instances led to these tough decisions made by the company.
For those who don't know, AEW World Champion CM Punk took jabs at some of his colleagues from the AEW locker room at the All Out media scrum and that resulted in a fight, backstage.
Punk reportedly threw punches at Young Bucks while AEW Producer cum his friend Ace Steel bit Kenny Omega and pulled his hair. Nick Jackson was also hit in the eye with a chair.
While nothing regarding them was mentioned during Dynamite, Sports Illustrated reports that everyone involved in this fight has been suspended. The list goes as follows:
- Kenny Omega
- Matt Jackson
- Nick Jackson
- Pat Buck
- Christopher Daniels
- Michael Nakazawa
- Brandon Cutler
SI also reported that while Punk and Steel are not on the list of suspended people, they are likely to get fired from the company by the end of the day or at least, get handed suspensions.
Then in the opening match of Dynamite, Death Triangle (AEW All-Atlantic Champion Pac and Lucha Brothers) defeated Orange Cassidy and Best Friends to win the AEW World Trios Championship. Pac is now a double champion in AEW with this win as he also holds the All-Atlantic Championship.
#AndNEW!!! Your #AEW World Trios Champions - #DeathTriangle @BASTARDPAC @ReyFenixMx @PENTAELZEROM! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/qUASwYhE88
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 8, 2022
As for the vacant AEW World Championship, a new holder for the belt will be decided over the coming weeks via a tournament that is now underway on AEW programme.
It will culminate in the final match to crown the new champion in two weeks during the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite set from the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.
The full lineup for the tournament goes as follows:
Match 1 (last night): Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson (Danielson is the winner)
Match 2 (Friday): Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
Match 3 (Next Week): Chris Jericho vs. Winner of Match 1 (Bryan Danielson)
Match 4 (Next Week): Jon Moxley vs. Winner of Match 2
Finals at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam on September 21: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4
Code of Honor observed by both @WheelerYuta and new #ROH Pure Champion @GarciaWrestling, with @bryandanielson coming in to congratulate him here on #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork. Meanwhile, @IAmJericho is less than impressed! pic.twitter.com/fD7kRGOorJ
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 8, 2022
As you can see, in the first round of the AEW World Title tournament, Danielson defeated Hangman Adam Page to advance in the tourney. Danielson defeated Page by countering a Buckshot Lariat into an O'Connor Roll and then connecting with the Millennial Cowboy for the pin to win.