AEW kicked off their Owen Hart Foundation Men’s and Women’s Tournaments in style during tonight’s Dynamite, and two stars have already moved to the next round. The Men’s Tournament revealed that Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Bryan Danielson, Shingo Takagi, Rey Fenix, Jay White, Jeff Jarrett, and a wild card would be competing, while the Women’s bracket revealed a lineup of Willow Nightingale, Serena Deep, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, Donna Purrazzo, Hikaru Shida, Mariah May, and Saraya. By the end of the night, Statlander and PAC would move to the next round, and two from each tournament will compete in Calgary on July 10th. Here’s everything you need to know about the Tournament.
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The Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Bracket
The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Bracket
Kris Statlander vs Nyla Rose
Statlander and Rose tried to overpower each other but ended up in a stalemate, and that happened once more time before Rose knocked Statlander down. They exchanged moves but Rose knocked Statlander down again before setting her up for a move on the ropes, only to get surprised and knocked to the floor. Statlander rolled Rose in the ring and stayed on her, slamming her into the corner turnbuckle and stomping on her for good measure.
Statlander clocked Rose with a punch but that just enraged Rose. Statlander used her momentum against her, moving out of the way and causing Rose to slam into the turnbuckle. Statlander knocked Rose’s leg out from under her and then locked in a hold, but Rose got to her feet and shook free of Statlander. Rose collided with Statlander in the corner and then clotheslined her before setting up for a cannonball, and she got all of it.
Rose went for a Beast Bomb but Statlander avoided it and hit an Ax Kick into a cover, though Rose kicked out. Statlander went up top for the 450 but missed, and Rose hit a back elbow into a pin, but Statlander was able to kick out. Statlander was able to knock Rose off her footing on the ropes and then followed with a Tombstone Piledriver,giving her the win.
Claudio Castagnoli vs PAC
Later in the episode, it was time for the first Men’s Tournament match between Claudio Castagnoli and PAC, and PAC was on fire early, so much so that Castagnoli rolled out of the ring to regroup and avoid PAC’s move from the top rope. Castagnoli got back on track when he slammed PAC onto the floor and then followed it with a slam into the barricade. An uppercut followed and then Claudio slammed PAC onto the ring apron before going up top and colliding with PAC.
Castagnoli slammed PAC down again and then hit the double stomp before going for a pin, but PAC quickly kicked out. Claudio locked in a hold and appeared to be favoring his leg a bit, and that wasn’t helped when PAC evaded a dive that sent Claudio into the ring post. PAC then hit a hurricanrana and a moonsault, knocking Castagnoli to the floor. PAC went for another moonsault and countered Claudio’s catch to knock him to the floor, and back in the ring PAC tried to pin Claudio but he kicked out.
Taunts from PAC annoyed Castagnoli and the two stars traded punches, but PAC would hit a series of kicks and strikes that knocked Castagnoli to the mat. PAC went for a move from the top but missed and was hit with an uppercut from Castagnoli, though PAC still managed to kick out of the pin attempt. Castagnoli went for the Giant Swing and got it before hitting a monster clothesline, but PAC still kicked out of the pin. PAC countered Castagnoli’s move into a submission, and then Castagnoli locked in his own submission with a sharpshooter. Castagnoli then transitioned into the Crossface, but PAC almost reversed it. The two traded roll-ups and pin attempts, but it was PAC who got the last one, getting Claudio’s shoulders down for the 3 count and moving on to the next round.
What did you think of the first two matches? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
