{"id":128949,"date":"2024-12-16T07:34:46","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T12:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=128949"},"modified":"2024-12-17T04:06:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T09:06:50","slug":"preview-aew-dynamite-12-18-24-holiday-bash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/12\/16\/preview-aew-dynamite-12-18-24-holiday-bash\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: AEW Dynamite (12\/18\/24) &#8211; Holiday Bash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>AEW returns to Washington, D.C., for its fifth annual AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash. Four contests have been announced for this week\u2019s Dynamite, the graphic drop weeks ago offered us a huge dream match that could be a late contender for match of the year if given the time. Read on for a full preview of that match.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, another Continental Classic match-up offers another intriguing contest. The formidable Shelton Benjamin faces Beast Mortos in what could be a battle of strength and resilience. Benjamin may need help throwing around and dominating this opponent. This could be a real test for the Hurt Syndicate enforcer.<\/p>\n<p>MJF returns, hopefully, live and in person, after he attempted to interfere in last week\u2019s Dynamite Diamond Ring contender match. Likewise, there will be plenty more developments that AEW has planned on the road to Worlds End.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s go for a ride.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Announced Card Thus Far for AEW Dynamite: <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Matches announced: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Continental Classic Blue League: Shelton Benjamin vs. Beast Mortos<\/li>\n<li>TBS Championship: Mercedes Mone vs. Anna Jay<\/li>\n<li>Continental Classic Gold League: Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin<\/li>\n<li>Death Riders (Jon Moxley, PAC and Wheeler Yuta) vs. Jay White, Orange Cassidy and \u201cHangman\u201d Adam Page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Other segments announced:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We\u2019ll hear from MJF<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Gamble of the Night: TBS Championship Match <\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AEWDynamite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#AEWDynamite<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HolidayBash?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#HolidayBash<\/a><br \/>\nTHIS WEDNESDAY in Washington, DC<br \/>\n8pm ET\/7pm CT LIVE on TBS<\/p>\n<p>TBS Championship<br \/>\nMercedes Mon\u00e9 vs Anna Jay<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annajay___?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@AnnaJay___<\/a> challenges \u201cThe CEO\u201d <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MercedesVarnado?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MercedesVarnado<\/a> for her TBS Title NEXT WEDNESDAY at <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HolidayBash?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#HolidayBash<\/a>! <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HAqEfP8s6h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/HAqEfP8s6h<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AEW\/status\/1868294942763757731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Mercedes Mone aims to complete her eleventh defense of the TBS Championship against the homegrown Anna Jay. This will be an underdog story that will allow Mone to mock, bully, and thrive if all goes well. Anna Jay, once against, steps up and swings for the fences.<\/p>\n<p>After failing to capture the AEW Women\u2019s World Championship from Mariah May, Jay\u2019s determination and growing confidence have led her to challenge one of the greatest women\u2019s wrestlers of her generation.<\/p>\n<p>Form and consistency have been an issue for Mone and Jay this year, which is why this match is a gamble. Although Mone has performed better as a character and in the ring over the past few weeks, the pressure on Mone to carry Jay could be the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Although Jay has progressed since going to Japan, her performance against Penelope Ford needed to be improved and, at times, disconnected.<\/p>\n<p>The good of Jay\u2019s year outweighs the bad, but there is a price when you mess with Mone. Especially since Mone has faced scrutiny from all sides this year. In some ways, this feels like a stopgap defense for Mone. However, could Jay ruin the final quarter of the CEO\u2019s year? If not, where does Anna Jay go next?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Banger of the Night: Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Continental Classic this year has already delivered surprises, character development, and story arcs, all of which have helped <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/11\/15\/aew-continental-classic\/\" target=\"_self\">solidify the tournament\u2019s reputation<\/a>. Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin be the match of the group stages?<\/p>\n<p>When you put two of the best wrestlers in the ring against each other, who in some ways are so similar and yet distinctively different from each other, there is an expectation of magic.<\/p>\n<p>Few wrestlers can match Ospreay or take him to places in the ring that are out of his comfort zone. Darby Allin will always be the underdog. Unafraid to play dirty and use his speed and size to trick and maneuver around his opponents, Ospreay might be grounded to Allin\u2019s level.<\/p>\n<p>Allin is also likely to be able to match Ospreay&#8217;s speed, determination, and resilience. Ospreay might be elevated, but Allin\u2019s got plenty of experience crashing and burning. Ospreay doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>This was reflected in their post-Dynamite conversation, which aired on last week\u2019s Collision. Ospreay made it clear his focus is on winning the tournament and regaining the momentum he has lost.<\/p>\n<p>However, Allin focuses on the bigger picture, and the injuries from Claudio Castagnoli and Brody King might be his undoing.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve written elsewhere about how <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/09\/27\/darby-allin-aew-world-championship\/\" target=\"_self\">Darby Allin is chasing the AEW World Championship and could be the man to dethrone Jon Moxley<\/a>. Yet that doesn\u2019t mean Allin didn\u2019t get the upset win and had further complications to Ospreay\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<p>The win could go either way on AEW Dynamite. Both men need it to achieve their respective goals and pathways. One must be elevated, and one must fall.<\/p>\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<p><em>Header photo \u2013\u00a0AEW\u00a0\u2013 Stay tun<\/em><em>ed to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0 You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@AEW\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AEW returns to Washington, D.C., for its fifth annual AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash. Four contests have been announced for this week\u2019s Dynamite, the graphic drop weeks ago offered us a huge dream match that could be a late contender for match of the year if given the time. Read on for a full preview of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":128957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,6,2192],"tags":[5730,6536,9052,491,9089,8521,101],"class_list":["post-128949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-north-america","category-wrestling","tag-aew-dynamite","tag-anna-jay","tag-continental-classic","tag-darby-allin","tag-holiday-bash","tag-mercedes-mone","tag-will-ospreay"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128949"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128976,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128949\/revisions\/128976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}