AEW Winter Is Coming Review – December 13, 2023
Kicking off the 2023 Winter Is Coming with Samoa Joe heading to the ring to respond to last week when he was surrounded by the Devil’s masked men as AEW World Champion MJF was shown laid out in the back. Joe says he has come here tonight looking for answers as he made a promise that he would keep MJF whole until they get to Worlds End where he could take his AEW World Title. Last week he was made into a liar as he saw MJF laid out in the back potentially jeopardizing his title opportunity. Joe said when he went to the back he saw a certain beer branded bottle smashed over MJF’s head it was a smell he smelt before and it seemed like a certain Hangman was missing backstage when he went looking for him.
This prompts Hangman Page to head to the ring and says if Joe wants to accuse him of something to just say it like the man he thought he was. Page says he doesn’t care about the bromance, the laser tag, the game of Clue or whodunit. Joe says he’s not out here as a detective but an executioner so Page tells him to do something about it. Roderick Strong & The Kingdom make their way out with Strong screaming Samoa and tells Joe to listen to Page calling him his young boy. Strong keeps bringing up scenarios where MJF was never seen touched, and says how it’s obviously him as The Devil. Strong pushes Page off of him when he was trying to cut it so Page stops Strong and takes him out with a punch as we head to the match itself.
Hangman Page vs. Roderick Strong
Hangman Page & Roderick Strong fight before the bell rings with Page in control but Strong is able to come right back and keep Page in the corner with chops and kicks before Page comes right back with some of his own before Page hits a fallaway slam followed by a standing shooting star press for a two count.
Strong starts stomping Page in the corner before hitting a backbreaker for a one count then they tussle a bit before Page sends Strong on the apron where he hits a lariat taking Strong to the outside and meeting him with a crossbody.
As Page is on the top rope Mike Bennett distracts Aubrey Edwards and Matt Taven distracts Page. Strong comes back with a backbreaker on the top rope sending Page to the outside as we go to picture in picture.
After the break they both are on the attack by taking each other down with a double clothesline then they start trading punches and kicks with Page stomping out Strong in the corner. Page hits a Death Valley Driver then a cover but Strong kicks out at two.
They get on the top rope where Page bites Strong’s head before Strong escapes out then Page misses a moonsault attempt but hits a pop up powerbomb for a two count.
Strong starts kicking away at Page then he goes for pin attempts before hitting a Tiger Driver then right into Strong Hold but Page is able to reach the bottom rope.
They fight on the apron where Taven holds Page’s leg before getting taken out with a moonsault. Page takes out Bennett then heads to the top rope and takes out The Kingdom with another moonsault.
Page tries a Buckshot Lariat but Strong stops it as Page puts on a roll up for a two count then they go back & forth before Page hits Dead Eye for the win.
Winner: Hangman Page (14:48)
Rate: 7
Blue League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Andrade El Idolo (6) vs. Brody King (6)
Andrade El Idolo & Brody King starts this match by running the ropes before El Idolo is able to keep King down with a side headlock as King tries to escape but El Idolo keeps him down on the mat for a bit.
They finally head to the corner and trade chops before King starts clubbing away at El Idolo then King puts on a Sleeper Hold to El Idolo on the apron but he’s able to escape out and hit a top rope crossbody for a one count.
King goes to the outside where El Idolo meets him with a moonsault off the middle turnbuckle as they fight back in the ring where King knocks El Idolo to the outside as we head to picture in picture.
After the break King has El Idolo held down on the mat before El Idolo stops King with a dropkick to the knee while he is rushing towards him with a splash in the corner before El Idolo takes King down with a couple of dragon screws and a flying elbow strike.
They go back & forth as El Idolo hits a body slam on King then heads to the top rope and hits a split legged moonsault for a two count then King dodges El Idolo in the corner and hits a lariat for a two count.
King follows with a cannonball in the corner but still only gets a two count before they continue to go back & forth until El Idolo hits a back elbow knocking King down like a tree.
Instead of going for the cover El Idolo struggles to get to the top rope only to get stopped by King then they both start tussling on the top rope where it looks like El Idolo drops King on the exposed turnbuckle followed by Idolo DDT for the win.
Winner: Andrade El Idolo (9) (14:45)
Rate: 7
Backstage Renee Paquette is with The Von Erichs & Kevin Von Erich starts saying how much he loves AEW and has friends here as International Champion Orange Cassidy walks in with Danhausen & Trent Beretta and says he needs two people to team up with him on Rampage and suggests Ross & Marshall Von Erich. Danhausen & Beretta get offended at first that Cassidy didn’t pick them until Cassidy says It’s Texas and they seem to understand.
Chris Jericho says it’s been a while since they have been here due to AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill attacking him after Full Gear taking him out for 3 weeks. Jericho says he’s spent the whole time wondering what he was going to say before calling Starks & Bill out. Starks says he actually doesn’t have any problem with Omega but with Jericho who sucks the life out of everything. This makes him question Omega though as Jericho is not one to trust. Bill brings up everything Jericho has done to Omega and says nobody would be surprised if Jericho took out Omega. Omega starts asking if he trusts Jericho and says he knows he doesn’t and brings up The Firm asking if anyone remembers it and calls the angle they had with MJF The Flaccid and something up Bill’s alleyway being soft.
Omega says he’s always on the other side of beatdowns, but says that maybe on December 30th at Worlds End The Winnipeg Jets before correcting himself can challenge Starks & Bill for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. Starks says they are on and asks Jericho if remembers January when he beat him twice. The Golden Jets bring up how Starks & Bill don’t have a tag team name and suggest The Absolute Assholes & The Rick & The Dick before calling them Big Billie Starks which Excalibur uses as a cheap plug to promote ROH Final Battle on Friday. They continue insulting each other’s clothes before Jericho calls Starks a less charismatic version of Enzo Amore. Omega chimes in that at least Enzo but hype up Bill instead of taking the spotlight. Starks gets aggressive on the mic and hypes up their tag match against the Winnipeg Scumbags. Omega does his sign off as the match is made official.
Ruby Soho vs. Riho
Riho goes right after Ruby Soho by hitting a stomp and knocking Soho to the outside but Soho stops Riho on the top rope as she is getting ready to jump on her.
They fight on the top rope where Riho takes out Soho with a double stomp as we head to picture in picture.
After the break Riho takes out Soho with 619 followed by a top rope crossbody for a two count before they start going back & forth with pin attempts before Soho hits a kick to the side of the head and a Saito Suplex for a two count.
Riho comes back with a Crucifix Bomb for a two count then heads to the top rope but misses a double stomp before Soho comes back with No Future Kick then goes for the cover but Riho still kicks out at two.
Riho hits Dragon Suplex follow by running knees to the face to get the win.
Winner: Riho (8:31)
Rate: 6
We get a video from Wardlow who says he’s been preparing for war emotionally, mentally & physically and he has left a path of pure mayhem behind him destroying every single person in his way. Just like the Archangel Michael he will be the one to bring the Devil to his knees and tells MJF that his world is coming to an end.
Gold League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Rush (3) vs. Jay Lethal (0)
Rush must win or he’s eliminated.
Rush & Jay Lethal go after each other fast with Rush taking down Lethal before they run the ropes and fight in the corners then they quickly take it to the outside and start fighting against the barricades and commentary table.
Rush stays in control while doing his Tranquilo pose and hitting a powerslam on Lethal for a two count then they start fighting on the top rope where Lethal chops Rush off but misses Hail To The King.
Lethal instead hits Lethal Combination and calls for the Figure 4 but Rush blocks it and starts chopping away at Lethal but he comes back with a kick sending Rush to the corner.
Rush stops Lethal with a belly 2 belly suplex and tries Bull’s Horns just to get stopped.
Rush stops the Lethal Injection and puts on a Sleeper Hold as the referee calls the match off.
Winner: Rush (6) (4:30)
Rate: 5
After the match we see The Jarretts & Sonjay Dutt come out after to talk to Lethal but he seems to be upset and brushes them off a little.
Gold League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Jay White (6) vs. Mark Briscoe (0)
White must win or he’s eliminated.
Jay White & Mark Briscoe go at each other fast right away as Briscoe hits Froggy Bow but White rolls out to the outside to escape getting pinned.
Briscoe starts using the cables around the ring on White before they take it back inside where Briscoe is in control.
White stops Briscoe by launching off over the top rope and bouncing off the apron then White goes for Blade Runner but gets it stopped.
White comes back with a DDT for a two count as we head to picture in picture.
After the break they are going back and forth on the ropes and in the corner with Briscoe hitting a back body drop on White followed by a clothesline then Briscoe starts chopping away at White.
Briscoe hits an elbow drop from the apron and stays in control by putting White on the top rope and hits him with a Razor’s Edge for a two count.
White blocks a Jay Driller attempt with a couple of dragon screws before White puts his knees up for another Froggy Bow attempt and hits Blade Runner for the win.
Winner: Jay White (9) (11:49) (Since White won Rush is eliminated)
Rate: 7
We get a video hyping up FTR & Mark Briscoe vs. Blackpool Combat Club for this Friday’s ROH Final Battle which is a fight for Jay Briscoe’s honor.
Gold League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Swerve Strickland (9) vs. Jon Moxley (9)
Swerve Strickland & Jo Moxley circling each other before Strickland takes Moxley to the mat and they roll around mounting each other then they trade smooches with each other before continuing to slowly work on each other with hammerlocks.
Strickland gets the upper hand as Moxley escapes to the ramp to regroup for a little bit before Moxley starts chopping away at Strickland in the corner but Strickland traps Moxley in the ropes where he hits him with a DDT for a two count.
Moxley comes back and stays in control before Strickland sends Moxley to the outside just for Moxley to trap him in the ring skirt before sending him into the steel steps as we head to picture in picture.
After the break they are both going back & forth with Strickland hitting a spinning back elbow from the corner on Moxley before Moxley comes back with a piledriver for a two count. Strickland comes back with a flatliner and suplex before kicking Moxley back down with a boot for a two count.
Strickland starts stomping away and hitting elbows before hitting House Call and going to the top rope for Swerve Stomp but Moxley runs up and pushes Strickland off to the outside and tells the referee to count Strickland out but he gets in at 9 as Moxley is there with a stomp for a two count.
Moxley puts on the cross armbreaker but Swerve is able to put his foot on the rope to break it up then Moxley goes and grabs a chair but Strickland dives onto him on the outside places Moxley on a chair and stomps on him from the apron.
Back inside Strickland hits Swerve Stomp then goes for the cover but Moxley kicks out at two then they go back & forth with a roll up as Moxley holds on for the win.
Winner: Jon Moxley (12) (16:23)
Rate: 7.5
We see 4 of the Devil’s Masked Men attacking Hangman Page in the parking lot before we see The Devil emerge from a car nodding to his masked men as they drop Page on top of a car windshield to close out Winter Is Coming.
Continental Classic Standings After Night 7
Gold League
1st Place- Jon Moxley (12 Points) (4-0)
2nd Place- Jay White & Swerve Strickland (9 Points) (3-1)
3rd Place- Rush (6 Points) (2-2) (Eliminated)
Last Place- Jay Lethal & Mark Briscoe (0 Points) (0-4) (Eliminated)
Blue League
1st Place- Andrade El Idolo (9 Points) (3-0)
2nd Place- Bryan Danielson & Brody King (6 Points) (2-1)
3rd Place- Claudio Castagnoli & Eddie Kingston (3 Points) (1-2) (On the bubble)
Last Place- Daniel Garica (0 Points) (0-3) (Eliminated)
Friday’s Rampage
Trios Match
International Champion Orange Cassidy & The Von Erichs (Marshall & Ross) vs. Angelo Parker, Matt Menard & Jake Hager
Tag Team Match
The Don Callis Family (Powerhouse Hobbs & Kyle Fletcher) vs. Hunter Grey & Paul Titan
Anna Jay vs. Red Velvet
Trios Match
Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) & Action Andretti vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo, Pentagon Jr & Komander
Saturday’s Collision
Blue League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Andrade El Idolo (9) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (3) (Castagnoli must win or he’s eliminated)
Blue League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Eddie Kingston (3) vs. Daniel Garica (0) (Kingston must win or he’s eliminated)
Blue League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Bryan Danielson (6) vs. Brody King (6)
Next Wednesday’s Dynamite
Gold League Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Swerve Strickland (9) vs. Rush (6)
New Year’s Smash Card So Far (Dec 27th)
Semi Final Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Gold League Winner 1 vs. Gold League Winner 2
Semi Final Match Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Blue League Winner 1 vs. Blue League Winner 2
Worlds End Card So Far (Dec 30th)
Finals Of The 2023 Continental Classic
Gold League Winner 1 or 2 vs. Blue League Winner 1 or 2
AEW World Title Match
MJF (c) vs. Samoa Joe
AEW World Tag Team Titles Match
Ricky Starks & Big Bill (c) vs. The Golden Jets (Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega)
