quote:

"It's Wednesday, you know what that means."

Brodie Lee's wife and children were joined by the entire AEW roster for the ten-bell salute.

A Jon Moxley promo played. He said he's never had a more difficult time coming up with the words to say, and that Brodie Lee brought joy to wrestling. Moxley had known Lee from bingo halls to stadiums, but to Lee, this was just a job. 2020 has hurt us all, but Lee's passing was like a PRIDE soccer kick to the face. Wrestling isn't just a sport, it's a community, and we support each other.

Moxley hopes that Lee inspires us all to become a little bit better and to appreciate what we have, because every day, including a day spent with Lee, is a gift. "I love you, brother, and I'll never forget you."

**********

Chris Jericho joined commentary for the show.

Colt Cabana & The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeated Matt Hardy & Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)

This was a fantastic, emotional opener (as expected).

Cabana had tears in his eyes during his entrance. He and Kassidy started off, where Cabana took advantage with his signature comedy. Quen and the Bucks each tagged in, where the Bucks took out both of Private Party before joining Cabana for a triple dropkick on Hardy. Matt Jackson skinned the cat after his dropkick, leading to a rare quebrada from Cabana on all three opponents.

Nick beat down Quen in the corner but was cut off by a clothesline from Hardy on the apron. A blind tag and superkick from Matt Jackson stopped a Razor's Edge from Hardy, but a trip from Hardy allowed Quen to take him out with a tope.

Private Party and Hardy isolated Matt Jackson in the corner for an extended heat sequence. A diving crossbody from the latter got two, but he was met with a Side Effect from Hardy for two. Hardy showboated, but Cabana attacked him from the apron and Matt Jackson landed a Twist of Fate.

Cabana got the hot tag and landed an Asai moonsault on both of Private Party before following it up with the flip, flop, and fly. He landed a tijeras and a hip attack for two. Kassidy countered the discus lariat into a crucifix for a close near fall. Quen landed a dive for another two. Hardy tried to direct traffic, sending Private Party to the top turnbuckles, but they were knocked down, and Hardy was cut off with a superkick.

Nick tagged in and ran wild with clotheslines but was tripped yet again by Hardy. He fought back and landed his facebuster into a moonsault. "That's for you, Brodie."

Private Party surprised him with Gin 'n' Juice, Hardy hit the Twist of Fate, Kassidy hit the Swanton Bomb, and Quen landed a shooting star press, but Cabana broke up the pin. The official was distracted so Hardy tried to attack with a chair, but Quen wouldn't let him. They cut off Cabana and set up for Gin 'n' Juice, but Matt Jackson blindsided Quen with a superkick.

The Bucks hit Quen with an Indytaker, and Cabana followed it up with the Superman pin for three.

Dark Order "-1," Brodie Lee's son, was shown at ringside with Alan "5" Angels. The Acclaimed's music played, and Max Caster said he had something to say. SCU ran out and laid them out, the Bucks hit them with superkicks, and Cabana hit bionic elbows on both, sending them packing. "-1" looked on approvingly.

**********

Darby Allin talked about Brodie Lee. Allin was so happy when Lee came to AEW, and he desperately wanted to wrestle him. He said that Lee had no ego. "He was the man, by far. #1 dude I wish I could've wrestled."

**********

Before the match, Eddie Kingston took a mic and said "Brodie, I love you, I miss you." Now that the niceness was out of the way, he said that the Dark Order is nothing without Lee.

Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno) & Lance Archer (w/ Jake Roberts) defeated Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, & The Blade (w/ The Bunny)

This was another excellent, hard-fought match.

Lance Archer wore classic Brodie Lee / Luke Harper gear, with the old tank top and blue jeans.

Uno attacked Kingston before the bell. Butcher and Blade were dispatched as Archer and the Dark Order beat Kingston down in the ring. They traded using each other as weapons to flatten Kingston on the mat.

With order restored, Bunny tripped Grayson, which allowed the heels to take control. Roberts returned the favor with a trip of his own, and Grayson hit a black hole slam leading into the commercial.

Kingston, Butcher and Blade took control during the break. Uno and Kingston had a stiff slap fight, but Uno avoided spinning back fists to hit straight right hands and a half-and-half suplex. Archer and Blade tagged in, and Archer shrugged off Blade's attacks before planting him with a chokeslam. Blade fought out of another, but there was no reprieve as he was met with a corner splash.

Archer performed his rope-walk but ended it with an incredible moonsault on Blade. Butcher tried to cut him off, but was pounced out of the ring by Archer. A combination move from Dark Order almost got the pin, but Butcher and Kingston broke it up. A DDT from Kingston on Grayson got a close near fall, but Grayson escaped to Archer after a backflip kick.

Archer set up for Blackout on Blade, but Kingston broke it up. Grayson tagged in like a house of fire with a springboard apron DDT on Butcher before he and Uno landed Fatality on Blade for the victory.

After the match, Dark Order and Archer landed forearms on Kingston before Roberts hit him with a short-arm clothesline.

**********

The next tribute was about how much Brodie Lee loved his wife and children. It was said that Lee and his family were inseperable, and that Lee couldn't wait to get out of Daily's Place after work was done. Bryce Remsburg said that if there were a Mount Rushmore of wrestling dads, Lee should be on it.

**********

Dark Order (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) & Hangman Page defeated Inner Circle (MJF, Santana, & Ortiz) (w/ Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, & Wardlow)

As great as the show's been so far, this was the highlight.

Silver wore the Mr. Brodie Lee robe and gear. Before the match, Silver and Reynolds pulled rolls of paper out and tossed them in their opponents' faces, a reference to what Lee would do to them on Being The Elite.

At the start of the match, Page pulled out a roll of paper of his own and tossed it in MJF's face. MJF screamed at "-1," Brodie Lee's son, at ringside.

Silver and Ortiz tagged in and had an exchange before a crossbody from Santana. Reynolds tagged in after an elbow from Silver and landed a smooth elbow, but Santana popped up and downed him with a neckbreaker. Santana went for the Three Amigos suplexes, using Ortiz for help on the third, as the Inner Circle continued to isolate Reynolds.

Page hit an elbow on Ortiz, allowing himself to tag in. He hit attacks all three opponents, including his springboard clothesline on Santana and a fallaway slam on MJF. He followed it up with a pescado and a clothesline. Page set up for the Buckshot Lariat, but MJF rolled out of the ring, allowing Inner Circle to cut him off with a triple team.

Back from break, MJF flipped off "-1," so Page surprised him with a boot. Page reached Silver for the hot tag, who ran wild on Santana and Ortiz. He had his own house of fire moment, attacking all of the Inner Circle, before finally being cut off by Santana. We got the parade of big moves, concluded with a destroyer from Silver on MJF, who followed it up with a tope suicida.

Back in the ring, Silver was met with the Heatseeker from MJF and Santana & Ortiz's combination finisher, but Reynolds broke up the pin.

With the official distracted, Wardlow attacked Reynolds with a clothesline, so Eric Redbeard (Erick Rowan in WWE, Brodie Lee's longtime tag partner) ran out to send Wardlow packing. What a wonderful moment.

Dark Order hit power moves on Ortiz, concluded by a Buckshot Lariat from Page, but MJF put Ortiz's foot on the ropes. MJF pulled off the mask of "-1," who subsequently domed MJF with a kendo stick.

Silver posed like Lee, landed the discus forearm, and pinned Ortiz.

Everyone was emotional after the match, particularly Silver. Redbeard came back out with a sign that read "Goodbye for now, my brother. See you down the road."

**********

Eddie Kingston said he was going to miss Brodie Lee. He's gonna miss Lee busting his balls, but he's also going to miss Lee believing in him. Kingston wants Lee's children to know that their father isn't gone, because his teachings live on. Lee was a warrior inside and outside of the ring, and he loved his children.

**********

Anna Jay & Tay Conti defeated Britt Baker, D.M.D. & Penelope Ford (w/ Kip Sabian & Miro)

Jay and Baker started off. They performed chain wrestling until Ford tagged in, where Jay and Conti took control. Ford slapped Conti, who responded with elbows and judo throws. A heel kick from Conti got two. Sabian distracted the official, allowing Baker to surprise Conti with a kick, which Ford followed up with a German suplex.

Ford and Baker maintained control throughout a commercial break. Conti and Ford downed each other with simultaneous pump kicks before reaching their partners for tags. Jay ran wild on Baker, concluding the sequence with a flipping neckbreaker. Ford blindsided Jay with a backstabber, so Conti ran in to send her packing. Baker downed Conti with a Sling Blade before Jay flattened Baker with the Dangerous Jay kick.

Jay was emotional, pointing to the sky. Baker blindsided her and hit a fisherman's neckbreaker for two. Ford made a blind tag and hit a diving blockbuster for two. The crowd was really behind Jay at this point.

After catching a moonsault, Jay locked on the Queenslayer sleeper as Conti dispatched Baker and Reba, forcing Ford to tap.

Jay and Conti were very emotional. Tony Schiavone interviewed Baker, who said that the whole thing was rigged, almost like a "Big Rig" (one of Brodie Lee's names on the indies), with the Dark Order winning every match. Thunder Rosa ran out and attacked.

**********

Next week's card for New Year's Smash Night 1:

AEW World Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Rey Fenix
AEW Women's Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Abadon
Jake Hager vs. Wardlow
Young Bucks & SCU vs. The Acclaimed & TH2
Cody Rhodes vs. Matt Sydal
Return of Jon Moxley
Snoop Dogg on commentary
Chris Jericho on commentary

New Year's Smash Night 2:

TNT Championship: Darby Allin (c) vs. Brian Cage
Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa
FTR vs. Jurassic Express
Miro vs. Chuck Taylor

**********

Preston "10" Vance, Cody Rhodes, & Orange Cassidy defeated Team Taz (Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, & Powerhouse Hobbs)

This match features the favorite wrestlers of "-1" and was billed as "one night only." Bryce Remsburg, very emotional earlier on in the show, was the official for the match.

Cody and Hobbs started, where Hobbs immediately dropped Cody. Starks tagged in and was met with strikes from Cody, but he popped up and landed a dropkick. He followed it up with a shoulder tackle and posed, allowing Cody to fire up and regain control. Cody wanted to tag in Cassidy, but some inadvertant contact allowed Vance to tag in.

Vance downed Starks with a shoulder tackle and a rope-assisted German suplex. Hobbs tagged in and wanted Cody back in the match, but Cassidy tagged in. Cassidy feinted away from the Greco-Roman knuckle lock, putting his hands in his pockets, then hit a "shoulder tackle" and "kicks." He fired up and went for a tornado DDT, but Hobbs countered it into a spinning Oklahoma Stampede heading into the commercial.

After the break, Cassidy used evasive maneuvers to reach Cody for the hot tag. A powerslam from Cody on Starks got two as Cody threw his weight belt into the crowd. A knee from Cage on the apron led to a double clothesline.

10 tagged in and ran wild on all of Team Taz, concluding it with a powerslam on Starks. He posed and hit the Brodie Bomb on Starks, but Starks avoided 10's spinebuster and landed a big spear for two. Cassidy went for the Beach Break, Starks tried to turn it into Roshambo, but Cassidy hit a tornado DDT.

A parade of moves followed, ending with a pump kick and a short-arm clothesline from 10. Starks capitalized with a tornado DDT for a close near fall.

As the crowd chanted "10," Taz grabbed a chair, but was met with Arn Anderson, who had a chair of his own. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch, Cody hit Cross Rhodes, and 10 hit his spinebuster as Remsburg counted three. It was a clean sweep for the Dark Order, winning all five matches.

The winning team, especially 10, was emotional after the match, but Team Taz attacked. The lights went out and Darby Allin appeared, but the lights went out again, and Allin was flanked by Sting.

With the odds evened, Team Taz was forced to retreat.

**********

Brodie Lee Celebration of Life

Cody Rhodes was alone in the ring, very emotional. He said that he was looking for something to encapsulate Brodie Lee. He quoted Samuel Johnson, saying "You can judge a man's character by how he treats somebody who can do him no good." He talked about all the stories we've heard over the past few days of people whose lives were positively affected by Brodie Lee.

Brodie "-1" Lee Jr., full entrance and all, came out with his mother, Preston Vance, and Tony Khan. He took his father's boots and placed them in the center of the ring. Cody draped a purple cloth over them. Khan said that Brodie Lee was the greatest TNT champion of all time and presented "-1" with his own belt, calling him the TNT champion for life.

A tribute video for Brodie Lee played. There was footage from way early in his career all the way up to his AEW tenure as well as plenty of photos with his wife and children. It closed with "In memory of Jon Huber, Brodie Lee, 1979-2020."

NAG posted:

IcePhoenix posted:

Dacap posted:

dsriggs posted:

CobiWann posted:

I think you posted last week's FWOnline recap, MRT.

StarkRavingMad posted:

https://twitter.com/PWTees/status/1344482599008276480

Tweak posted:

Brodie Jr playing No Mercy with Darby's dad and Cody, what a dream

kidcoelacanth posted:

i cried at a freaking wrestle show! dammit!!

Dimebags Brain posted:

Legit popped for my boy The Vintner.

Shard posted:

Omg them wrecking up the hotel room and then tony taking care of the bill lol

Jerusalem posted:

What a show, it's a sad end to the year but they handled it in about the most beautiful way possible.

StarkRavingMad posted:

https://twitter.com/PWTees/status/1344482599008276480