New Year's Smash Night 1 Results: IMPACT Wrestling stars attack former AEW Champion; Young Bucks turn heel
Following one of the greatest tribute shows in professional wrestling history to the late great Brodie Lee, AEW started 2021 off with New Year's Smash Night 1. It was a stacked card from top to bottom, ending out with two AEW Championship bouts.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega defended his belt against Rey Fenix, one of his long-time rivals. Knowing their history, this was set to be an early Match of the Year candidate. Abadon would also challenge Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women's World Title. Abadon has taken a chunk out of Shida recently, literally. Could she take more of that tonight?
All of that, plus the return of Jon Moxley. After losing the AEW World Title, Moxley has been gone from Wednesday nights for a month. What does he have to say to the fans, and what are his plans for Kenny Omega? All that and more tonight. We kicked things off with a stellar eight-man tag team match.
The Young Bucks and SCU (Chris Daniels & Kazarian) vs The Acclaimed and TH2 on AEW Dynamite
An eight-man brawl kicks things off once Christopher Daniels went for a cheap shot on his opponents. The Young Bucks sent Jack Evans to the floor with an elevated dropkick, and Nick Jackson followed up with an incredible rolling senton, landing on his feet.
Daniels looked for an Asai Moonsault but was caught by Anthony Bowens, allowing Evans to take out Buck. The Acclaimed battered Daniels in the ring before tagging out to Angelico. TH2 hit an impressive elevated sidewalk slam/leg drop combination.
The Acclaimed followed that with a leaping neck breaker/ splash combination, with Evans hitting a second splash. Angelico teased a dive but went into a submission hold instead. Daniels was in serious trouble, but when Anthony Bowen faced off against a standing Fallen Angel, Daniels managed to turn things around with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Fellow inaugural AEW Tag Champ Frankie Kazarian made the tag and took the fight to Jack Evans. Avoiding a kick that sent Anthony Bowens to the floor, Kaz dropped Evans with a German suplex. A reverse suplex was countered, though, and a leaping high kick took Kazarian's head off. A standing corkscrew press crushed the sternum of Kaz.
Kaz escaped some tandem offense by Evans and Bowens, leading to AEW Tag Champ Matt Jackson running wild. Taking down all four competitors, Matt followed up with a dive on Evans, then Caster. A spear cut Angelico in half. Bowens was left in the middle of the ring, and it seemed that Matt was going for the moonsault.
Matt surprised everyone, even the cameraman, hitting Caster and Angelico on the floor with a dive. The Young Bucks hit Bowens with a double splash. Kazarian spiked Bowens with a slingshot DDT, but Matt couldn't get the pin.
Frankie Kazarian joined Matt Jackson in hitting the BTE Trigger, but TH2 broke up the pinfall. An STO Backbreaker/neck breaker combination broke Nick Jackson apart. As Evans went for the 630 Senton, Nick put his knees up. Angelico ate the double superkick for his partner, but a Superkick Party broke out regardless, rocking all of TH2 and The Acclaimed.
Jack Evans nearly got a pinfall by escaping the Meltzer Driver. However, Daniels got involved, adding a little twist to the Meltzer Driver; his Best Moonsault Ever. The Best Meltzer Ever spiked Evans for the win.
Results: SCU and The Young Bucks defeated TH2 and The Acclaimed via pinfall on AEW Dynamite.
Grade: B+
The original and current AEW Tag Team Champions celebrated in the middle of the ring before SCU laid down the challenge. They've got The Young Bucks' back whenever they're needed, but they want the gold.