AEW WrestleDream 2023 PPV 10/1/23 October 1st 2023

Watch AEW Wrestle Dream 2023 Full Show HD 4 Parts
ZeroHour Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

AEW WrestleDream 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights

Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. AEW

Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage and recap of AEW WrestleDream in Seattle, Washington.

This event is being held in honor of Antonio Inoki, who died one year ago. The Japanese legend's legacy has been influential on countless stars for decades, so a lot of wrestlers who idolized him were looking forward to paying tribute on Sunday.

The card for the pay-per-view was stacked, but not without issues. A couple of weeks ago, Adam Cole suffered an ankle injury that prevented him from competing at the show.

However, the long-awaited dream match between Bryan Danielson and Zack Sabre Jr. finally became a reality.

Let's take a look at everything that happened at the first-ever WrestleDream.

Match Card

1 OF 13

WrestleDream.AEW

This was the match card for Sunday's event:

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page
FTR vs. Aussie Open (AEW Tag Team Championship)
MJF vs. The Righteous (ROH Tag Team Championship, handicap)
Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay
Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin (TNT Championship)
Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart (TBS Championship)
Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata (Strong Openweight and ROH World Championships)
Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta
The Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros vs. Hook and Orange Cassidy vs. The Gunns (winners get future AEW tag team title shot)
Luchasaurus vs. Nick Wayne (Zero Hour)
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass vs. TDMK (Trios titles, Zero Hour)
Josh Barnett vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Zero Hour)
Shayne Taylor, Lee Moriarty, Mercedes Martinez and Diamante vs. Satoshi Kojima, Keith Lee, Athena and Billie Starkz

Zero Hour

2 OF 13

The first 30 minutes of the Zero Hour pre-show were shown exclusively on YouTube, but All Elite Wrestling saved the actual matches until that first half-hour was up.

Tony Khan welcomed us to the show from inside the ring with Inoki's grandsons, and NJPW stars Rocky Romero and Katsuyori Shibata. They celebrated the life of Inoki before we saw a video package paying tribute to the legendary wrestler.

The first bout was the mixed eight-person mixed tag match with Moriarty, Taylor, Martinez and Diamante taking on Starks, Athena, Lee and Kojima. The finish saw Kojjima nail Moriarty with a spinning forearm for the win.

Jon Moxley accompanied Castagnoli to the ring for his match against Barnett. He gave great insight on commentary while the two men in the ring had a very technical match. Castagnoli won with a pin and got the nod of respect from Barnett after it was over.

Wayne and Luchasaurus met in the third match on the pre-show. Cage and Allin were not there with them, so the 18-year-old was all alone against The Living Dinosaur. Luchasaurus was too much for the teenager, though, and scored the win with a huge blow to the back of the head.

The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass defended the trios titles in the final pre-show match against TMDK. Max Caster picked up the win for his team with the Mic Drop to end the pre-show in a high note.

Results and Grades:

Kojima, Lee, Starkz and Athena defeated Martinez, Diamante, Taylor and Moriarty (C)
Castagnoli defeated Barnett (A)
Luchasaurus defeated Wayne (B-) h
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass defeated TMDK (B)

MJF vs. The Righteous (ROH Tag Titles)

3 OF 13

WrestleDream.AEW

MJF came out for his handicap match against The Righteous with both ROH tag titles over his shoulder. He gave a quick promo claiming he wasn't responsible for attacking Jay White on Collision.

From the jump, this match was never designed to be taken 100 percent seriously. MJF was playing up the whole "I'm your scumbag" gimmick by cheating but also getting cheap pops, and the crowd was eating up every moment of it.

Dutch and Vincent would attempt to be more violent when they were in control, but whenever MJF had the upper hand, he did everything he could to get laughs and cheers.

MJF trying to slam Dutch became a side quest next to the main goal of retaining the titles on his own without the injured Adam Cole. When he finally hit the slam, the crowd erupted.

This match was pure sports entertainment. If you want a technical showcase, Danielson and Sabre will give that to you. If you wanted laughs, this match was for you.

Result: MJF won to retain the ROH tag titles

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

The tofu nickname might actually catch on for White if MJF keeps mentioning it.
MJF getting over moves like a clothesline and body slam is such a great part of his babyface shtick.
The way they built up the body slam throughout the match as a big moment for MJF was perfect.
MJF grabbing Vincent below the belt just long enough to get the ref to turn around and see him with the chair was a great comedy spot.

Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata (ROH World and NJPW Openweight Titles)

4 OF 13

WrestleDream.AEW

Kingston and Shibata met in the only match on the card that featured one man defending two titles from two different promotions.

They started off with an exchange of strikes and wasted no time trying to hit each other with their biggest shots. This match was built on mutual respect, but both men were also looking to leave the other battered and bruised when it was over.

This bout was probably the biggest tribute to Inoki on the entire show because both men have made it clear how much they idolized him and patterned their style after his.

Even though this fight was hard-hitting, they were also doing a great job following the rules to the letter. This was about earning the win, not just getting it. Both men fought hard, but Kingston was able to pick up the win. He and Shibata sat in the ring together after it was over and showed each other respect with a handshake and bow.

After Kingston left the ring, Shibata's music played and he received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Result: Kingston retained his titles with a powerbomb.

Grade: A

Notable Moments and Observations

Shibata is so good at making the crowd react how he wants.
Shibata's chest was very red after about five minutes.
Both men were selling everything perfectly. Everything they did looked painful, which made the whole match more engaging.

Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart (TBS Championship)

5 OF 13

The TBS title was on the line in the next matchup when Statlander defended the belt against Hart. Heading into this bout, the challenger was on a 28-match win streak.

However, Statlander has made a name for herself as The Defeated of the Undefeated, so she didn't care about how many wins Hart had. She just cared about retaining her title.

The champ had a significant size and power advantage, but Hart's aggression helped her even the playing field. Even with Brody King at ringside for support, Statlander was too much for her to overcome, especially after multiple tombstone piledrivers.

This was definitely Hart's best match to date and a great defense for the champion.

Result: Kris Statlander retained her TBS title by pinning Hart

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

Hart's entrance was epic. She had special entrance gear made for this event that looked great.
Nigel McGuinness pointed out how Inoki helped popularize the abdominal stretch, so a lot of people were using it in their matches.
King was at ringside, but Best Friends didn't show up for Statlander.
Statlander slapping the mist out of Julia's mouth was a great moment.

The Gunns vs. Bucks vs. Lucha Bros vs. Hook and Orange Cassidy

6 OF 13

The Fatal 4-Way tag match to determine the next No. 1 contenders to the AEW tag titles was up next.

Other than Hook and OC, every team has held the AEW tag titles before, so this new duo was looking to prove something against three pairings with more experience as partners.

Trying to find enough time to feature all eight guys is never an easy task unless the match has a lot of time, but all four teams did a good job pacing themselves while moving quickly from sequence to sequence.

After a few minutes, Fenix disappeared from the match and the announcers referenced the doctors looking him over.

The seven remaining men worked their butts off to give the crowd as many near-falls and high spots as possible, so the fans in attendance were popping left and right.

After a long sequence of counters and superkicks, the Bucks scored the win by pinning Penta El Zero Miedo with the BTE Trigger.

Result: The Young Bucks defeated Penta to win

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

The music in the background of the video package for OC and Hook teaming up was hilarious.
It's so easy to forget that the Bucks are part of the ROH six-man champions because those titles are almost never featured prominently on any AEW or ROH programming.
Whenever the Jacksons and Lucha Bros are in the ring together, you know you are in for some spot-fu. (That term was stolen from @RighteousReg on Twitter)
The Gunns trying to pin each other to get an easy win was a funny moment.
This match had a lot of great multi-man spots. All four teams meshed together well.

Swerve Strickland vs. 'Hangman' Adam Page

7 OF 13

Prince Nana danced his heart out as he accompanied Swerve to the ring for his match against Hangman. This didn't have a title on the line, so it was all about pride.

This was the closest thing on the card to a pure grudge match. The tension was palpable, and both men did a great job selling the animosity they feel toward each other.

The crowd was vocal throughout as it cheered, jeered and chanted for whatever was going on at that moment.

After a little while, the crowd seemed to be turning on Hangman and getting behind Swerve. The longer the match went, the more you could feel the tide shift in Swerve's favor.

These are two guys who both have a reputation for being able to put on great matches, so a lot of people came into this with high expectations. Luckily, both competitors were up to the task.

The leader of The Mogul Embassy hit a double stomp on Page while the doctors were checking on his elbow. Prince Nana was eventually ejected from ringside, but Swerve was able to use his crown as a weapon behind the ref's back. This paved the way for him to hit the JML Driver and score the biggest win of his AEW career.

Result: Swerve Strickland defeated Hangman Page

Grade: A

Notable Moments and Observations

Even though he is a heel, Swerve can still control the crowd like a puppetmaster.
Page's moonsault from the top rope to the floor looked great.
Swerve is so smooth in the way he does a lot of little things that most people do with almost no flare. Even small transitions have some extra flavor when he does them.
Swerve sold the Deadeye on the steps perfectly.

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta

8 OF 13

WrestleDream.AEW

Moxley was back at the commentary table to watch Yuta take on Starks in the next match.

This bout had a completely different beginning and vibe from the previous clash, but they amped up the aggression until they were trading strikes like two prizefighters.

Both men came into this contest with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, so this was about two young stars looking to find out who was the best. The story didn't need to be deeper than that, but having the connection to Danielson from his last feud helped make Starks into the villain.

Big Bill showed up at ringside and distracted Yuta momentarily so Starks could hit a tornado DDT. A few minutes later, he hit a Spear followed by his finisher for the win.

Result: Ricky Starks pinned Wheeler Yuta

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

Mox joked about how he was fined for his commentary being too adult during the pre-show.
Yuta and Starks were throwing some pretty stiff shots. They clearly wanted to make sure they kept the crowd hot after the instant classic that took place before this.
Moxley yelling instructions to Yuta with his headset on was hilarious.
Starks hit a powerbomb and somehow managed to land on his own head in a way that doesn't seem possible until you see it.
Moxley laughing at Big Bill being pushed into the ring post was great.

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

9 OF 13

One of the most anticipated matches on the card was Danielson vs. ZSJ. The crowd was chanting before they even touched each other, so you could tell everyone was expecting this to be an instant classic.

They started off slow by showing off some counters to prove they were on the same level. They knew they would be going full speed soon, so they were pacing themselves at first.

They weren't going for punches or kicks at first. They were trying to grab each other in submissions and take each other down to the mat. It felt like they were barely trying but still putting on a technical clinic.

You could see the look of frustration growing on Sabre's face every time Danielson would counter something. The American Dragon's legacy is already set in stone, but for Sabre, this was about proving he deserved to be thought of in the same way.

The longer the match went, the more brutal their offense became. Neither man wanted to leave as the loser, so they started showing signs of desperation as each attempt to win failed.

This was one of the best displays of technical ability you will see in a wrestling ring this year. If you only see one match from this show, it should be this. It took two running knees, but Danielson was able to get the pin to earn a hard-fought victory. What a match.

Result: Bryan Danielson pinned Zack Sabre Jr.

Grade: A+

Notable Moments and Observations

Having Justin Roberts say this was a dream match when he was doing the introductions was certainly a choice. Pointing it out feels unnecessary.
Danielson was wearing Seahawks green on his gear.
Sabre's counter from a hip toss into an abdominal stretch was so smooth. The way both men went back and forth with the hold looked great, too.
Danielson's reversal into a single-leg crab was perfect.
One of the dragon screws Danielson hit looked especially brutal for ZSJ.

The Don Callis Family vs. Chris Jericho and the Golden Lovers

10 OF 13

Jericho was the first man to make his entrance for this huge trios match. The team of Jericho, Omega and Ibushi took on Guevara, Takeshita and Ospreay.

Omega and Ospreay started off the match with a nice exchange of counters and takedowns, but it didn't take long for Guevara to come in and test himself against The Cleaner.

The Demo God tagged in so he could go after his former friend, but The Spanish God got out of there as fast as he could. All of the little sub-feuds in this storyline were addressed, but the main conflict the babyface team had was with Callis, not its actual opponent.

The match had the unenviable task of following a Match of the Year candidate, but everyone worked hard to ensure this felt completely different while still being fun in its own way.

The rules were thrown out the window after a while, so tags didn't matter that much because everyone was fighting everyone else at the same time. The official was just there to make sure nobody used a weapon and to make the count.

This was pure mayhem, but it was the good kind of mayhem that made the crowd chant "This is awesome." After Callis used Jericho's own bat against him, Guevara was able to get the pin for his team.

Result: Sammy Guevara pinned Chris Jericho for the Don Callis Family

Grade: A-

Notable Moments and Observations

Jericho's entrance was much shorter than usual so they could fit in everybody's arrival on both teams.
The crowd started reacting to something in the stands at one point, but the cameras stayed away from whatever it was.
Aubrey Edwards was working her butt off during this show. She worked multiple matches in a row.
Ibushi and Omega were off by a couple of seconds when they tried to hit moonsaults at the same time.
Ibushi knocking out Ospreay with one shot was hilarious.

FTR vs. Aussie Open (AEW Tag Titles)

11 OF 13

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler were looking to prove they are still the best tag team in the world, but Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher had the same goal in mind. The AEW tag titles were how Aussie Open planned to prove FTR was no longer the top of the mountain.

Harwood and Fletcher began the match with some basic chain wrestling. When the 25-year-old scored a takedown, he did a little celebration to generate some heat with the tired Seattle crowd. This show had already been going for about four-and-a-half hours by the time this match started, so a lot of fans were showing signs of slowing down.

This was as physical and competitive as you would expect from these teams, but the nice thing about it was that it was a much more straightforward wrestling contest than the previous match. The rules felt like they mattered, so both teams were obeying them a bit more instead of just doing whatever they wanted until they got closer to the end of the fight when all hell broke loose.

The last handful of matches on this show all had to be different to stand out from each other, and everyone did a great job making sure that happened.

After Aussie Open came close to winning a few times, FTR managed to hit the Shatter Machine on Fletcher to retain their titles.

Result: FTR defeated Aussie Open to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

Fletcher made both members of FTR look short by comparison, but when he is standing by himself, he doesn't look that tall for some reason.
Harwood has one of the best punches in AEW. He always makes sure it looks good and makes just enough contact. His chops are pretty good, too.
Davis has one of the best mean faces in pro wrestling.
Fletcher hit the mat way before Harwood did when Harwood hit a Ligerbomb.
Either Aussie Open hit a really sloppy Shatter Machine or they tried to modify it, and it just looked weird.

Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin (TNT Championship, 2-out-of-3 Falls)

12 OF 13

The main event saw Cage send Luchasaurus away so he could face Allin by himself in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the TNT Championship.

Captain Charisma did a lot of delaying before locking up to play some mind games, but then as soon as they did lock up, he overpowered Allin with ease and forced him to the corner to establish his dominance.

The story they were telling in this bout was that Allin was desperate to not only beat Cage but also do it in front of his hometown fans. Both men did great work playing their parts, but Cage was operating on another level and has been for some time. This might be the best run of his career in terms of his character work.

Allin scored the first fall when he used Cage's own turtleneck against him. It looked like he would get the second fall with a Coffin Drop a few minutes later, but Cage countered with his knees and then sent Allin into the announce table from the apron.

Cage slammed Allin onto the steel steps twice to earn a countout for the second fall, tying it up at one each. As Allin was being loaded onto a stretcher, Cage was seen ripping apart the ring to expose the wooden surface beneath the padding. The final couple of minutes was truly unpredictable.

Cage hit a frog splash onto Allin while he was on the stretcher and then brought him back into the ring as the crowd continued to boo. He hit the Killswitch on the wooden boards, but Allin kicked out at two to get a huge pop from the Seattle crowd.

The TNT champion locked him in a Scorpion Deathlock only for Allin to make it to the bottom rope. The challenger made a comeback and hit a Coffin Drop, but he couldn't get the pin. Cage took out the ref with a Spear when Allin moved out of the way, so he took the opportunity to hit Allin with a low blow and grab his title belt.

Nick Wayne ran in and took the belt from him, leading to a standoff with Allin and Nick against Christian. Out of nowhere, Nick leveled Allin with the belt as his mom looked on with a look of complete shock and horror. The ref recovered in time to make the count and declare Cage the winner.

Not only was the match exciting, but the story they also told was done about as well as it could have been done. Wayne joining forces with Cage is going to be something that may or may not work, but for now, it's a fun swerve.

Sting showed up and went after Wayne and Christian, but the arriving Luchasaurus was too much for the legend to overcome.

The lights dropped and a video began to play as a man drove a classic car down a dark street. The crowd erupted as Adam Copeland, the man formerly known as Edge in WWE, came to the ring to the familiar sound of "Metalingus."

He picked up the chair and held it over a fallen Sting like he was going to attack him only to turn around and take out Wayne and Luchasaurus. Cage made a quick exit as Copeland looked on with a roaring crowd behind him.

Everything about this was fantastic. Even if you already believed Copeland would show up, the way it was executed still made it enjoyable.

Result: Christian Cage defeated Darby Allin to retain the TNT Championship.

Grade: A+

Notable Moments and Observations

The video package for this match was great. Cage has been outstanding throughout the entire feud.
Spitting in another man's face from more than a couple of feet away is harder than it looks. Christian has decent aim.
Mrs. Wayne did a great job showing her anger from the crowd. She was especially good when she threw the drink in Cage's face.
Allin was getting more people chanting for him, but at one point, the crowd was having a duel while chanting for both men.
Being able to use the same music he had in WWE is awesome, but it wouldn't be surprising if Copeland eventually started using something else, too.

The Final Word

13 OF 13

AEW

Was WrestleDream a perfect PPV? No. It's hard to think of any event that would qualify as such, but this show is going to be remembered fondly by just about everyone who watches it because it gave you a bit of everything.

Do you like technicians putting on clinics? Danielson and Sabre overdelivered.

Do you like intense rivalries and brutal physicality? Cage and Allin had you covered.

Do you like seeing two men in their prime put on a Match of the Year candidate? Swerve and Hangman did just that.

Do you like surprises? Copeland showing up might not have been a total shock to everyone, but it was certainly a well-executed debut.

Do you like women's wrestling? Well, this show didn't have a lot of that, but the only women's bout on the card that did not also feature male performers showed Hart and Statlander at their best.

The Match of the Night is going to vary wildly depending on your personal viewpoint. Some might pick MJF vs. The Righteous because they loved the comedy spots, while others might select the AEW tag title bout because it was a great example of what great tag team wrestling looks like.

With so many things to choose from, it's much easier to focus on the positives than the negatives. This was a stellar event that is going to be remembered by fans for a long time to come.

Grade: A+