In a showdown between former friends turned foes, Adam Cole edged out Kyle O’Reilly to secure a match against Maxwell Jacob Friedman for the coveted Dynamite Diamond Ring at Worlds End. The Winter Is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite served as the stage for this emotionally charged contest, where alliances, pride, and a lot of ankle locks were put to the test.
Friendly Fire with a Side of Betrayal
The match began as a showcase of mutual respect and technical brilliance, with Cole taking an early edge. O’Reilly soon found his rhythm, landing hard strikes and locking in submission attempts, turning Cole’s moments of hesitation into opportunities to dominate. By the time the match hit its picture-in-picture segment, O’Reilly was firmly in control, wrenching Cole into submission holds like he was twisting open a particularly stubborn jar of pickles.
But if there’s one thing Adam Cole knows, it’s how to find his moment. Coming out of the break, Cole unleashed a Panama Sunrise and transitioned into a brainbuster on his knee, but O’Reilly wasn’t going down that easily. The two exchanged strikes, submissions, and counters in a fiery sequence, with Cole finally laying out O’Reilly on the outside with a brutal superkick that sounded like someone slapping a slab of raw steak.
MJF’s Meddling and the Finish
As Cole looked to seal the win, AEW World Champion and noted agent of chaos MJF made his way to ringside, brandishing the Dynamite Diamond Ring like a discount supervillain. MJF’s interference almost cost Cole the match when O’Reilly used the distraction to roll him up for a near fall. But Cole stayed sharp, escaping another ankle lock and reversing O’Reilly’s momentum into a quick roll-up to score the win.
Post-Match Tensions Run High
After the bell, Cole and MJF exchanged words from across the arena, setting the stage for their upcoming clash. Meanwhile, O’Reilly, visibly frustrated, refused Cole’s offer of a post-match handshake and stormed off, leaving fans wondering if their Undisputed Kingdom ties are fraying.
With Worlds End looming on December 28, Cole’s win sets up an intriguing showdown with MJF. Can Cole dethrone the reigning king of diamond-ring shenanigans, or will MJF prove once again why he’s AEW’s most diabolical champion?