AEW Dynamite New Year's Smash preview: Former Undisputed Era's first match in 693 days, Cody Rhodes' challenger revealed, ex-WWE star to return tonight? (December 29, 2021)
Tonight, AEW will host its final episode of Dynamite this year, which will also mark an end to the flagship show's stint with the TNT network. Welcome to this week's preview of the New Year's Smash edition of AEW Dynamite.
The special episode will emanate from Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. After finally cracking the one million viewership mark for last week's Holiday Bash, AEW will be laser-focused in carrying the momentum heading into tonight's show.
Welcome back to the man with the black hat, as @JRsBBQ is on the call for #AEWDynamite on Wednesday night! https://t.co/Ayc9XR9LQ9
Tony Khan has lined up an intriguing match card, including the return of Jim Ross to the commentary booth. With multiple trios and high-stakes matches set to go down tonight, the AEW universe will surely be in for a treat.
Now without further ado, let's get down to what the company has in store for us.
#5 Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, and Bobby Fish vs. Orange Cassidy and Best Friends on AEW Dynamite
.@KORcombat is known as the #ViolentArtist for a reason, and will surely make a violent debut on #AEWDynamite #NewYearsSmash as he teams w/ @AdamColePro & @theBobbyFish to take on
@orangecassidy & #BestFriends @SexyChuckieT/@trentylocks TOMORROW LIVE at 8pm ET/5pm PT on @TNTDrama https://t.co/Bi3gdDY0Ks
Tonight, it will be déjà vu for wrestling fans who've closely followed Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly holding the fort during their days on NXT. The former Undisputed Era faction will return to action on Wednesday night as they take on Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, and Trent in a trios match.
Last week, O'Reilly stunned the AEW universe after he unexpectedly showed up to assist Cole in defeating Cassidy in a singles bout. Surprisingly, The Young Bucks didn't look too pleased seeing Cole's 'Christmas' present in the form of the Violent Artist.
The intense staredown between the Jackson brothers and Cole was a sight to behold as they may have seemingly planted the seeds for a potential showdown pitting The Elite against the former Undisputed Era. It will be interesting to see how The Young Bucks react tonight.
#4 What's next for the new AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes?
I am convinced that Cody Rhodes winning the TNT title is all done to make HOOK a star.
When the time is right, HOOK will beat Cody for the title, and it will mean a lot more taking it from Cody than it would Sammy. #AEWRampage https://t.co/tbTLMNjUGC
Cody Rhodes clawed his way back to the top of the men's division last week when he dethroned Sammy Guevara to win the TNT Championship for the third time in his career.
What went down during the post-match angle may have shed light on his first challenger. Taz's son, Hook, came out during Cody's celebratory moment and slapped him right in the face.
Tony Khan even hinted at a match between the two men somewhere down the road. But as the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.
Hook is super over with the AEW universe right now. If the company propels the rising star to confront Cody this week to initiate a program for the TNT title, it will generate ample buzz on social media.