Kevin Knight defended his attack on Darby Allin after Double or Nothing, while MJF’s new AEW world title reign quickly drew challenges.
Kevin Knight used Wednesday’s AEW “Dynamite” to explain why he attacked Darby Allin after Allin’s world title loss at Double or Nothing, turning the pay-per-view fallout into one of the night’s clearest new directions.
Appearing before a hostile Philadelphia crowd, Knight said Allin had let him and the fans down by failing to beat Maxwell Jacob Friedman for the AEW World Championship. Knight framed the assault as a decision to stop waiting for an opportunity and force his way into the center of AEW’s title picture.
“I decided I wasn’t going to trust the process anymore,” Knight said, later adding that he was going to “take over this whole damn company.”
The segment also appeared to end Knight’s partnership with “Speedball” Mike Bailey. Bailey came out and urged Knight to apologize for attacking Allin, calling it a mistake. Knight answered by bumping Bailey and then striking him down before leaving the ring, signaling that the Jet Speed team may be finished.
MJF, meanwhile, held his first celebration since regaining the AEW World Championship from Allin in a hair vs. title match. He entered on a throne and emphasized that his latest win made him a three-time world champion before age 30.
The celebration quickly became business. Mark Briscoe confronted MJF and reminded him that he had previously pinned him, but MJF dismissed Briscoe’s case for a championship match. Rush later emerged after winning a four-way match and pressed his own claim. MJF acknowledged Rush had earned consideration, then said their title match would take place next week rather than in Philadelphia.
The night also shifted the tag-team title scene. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, who won the AEW tag team championships from FTR at Double or Nothing, were attacked by David Finlay and Clark Connors before they could complete a planned five-second pose with fans. The attack positioned Finlay and Connors as immediate threats to the new champions.
In Owen Hart tournament action, Brody King defeated Claudio Castagnoli to advance to a semifinal against Swerve Strickland. Mark Davis also moved on by beating Jack Perry, setting up a semifinal with Will Ospreay. On the women’s side, Alex Windsor was left awaiting a wildcard opponent after Willow Nightingale withdrew because of injury and relinquished the TBS title.
AEW also wrote Samoa Joe into a temporary absence after his loss to Ospreay. Joe told his Opps teammates he would be stepping away for a few months because “Hollywood’s ringing,” leaving Hook and Anthony Bowens both appearing ready to fill the opening.
The immediate focus now moves to next week’s “Dynamite,” where MJF’s next title defense against Rush and Windsor’s wildcard tournament match are set to shape the next phase after Double or Nothing.
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