RECRUITING AND RETURNING

We’re two weeks away from After Party in Miami where Adam Cole will challenge for the World Championship but the Rumble winner seemingly has big plans before his title challenge. But we begin this show with a match for #1 contendership to the Women’s World Title as former champion Io Shirai returns to take on another former champ Dakota Kai. It was two women at the very top of their game and the fans were there for it. The match truly kicked into high gear about halfway through as both women unleashed blistering attacks that nearly won them the match. But it was Shirai who delivered the final blow, hitting Kai with a splash and then climbing to the top for a spectacular Shirai-sault, her second of the match. Shirai earned the right to face Kacy Catanzaro at After Party for the World Title.

Next up, Tyler Bate faces Tama Tonga ahead of Moustache Mountain’s match against War Machine at After Party. While Tama did manage to kick out of a Bate Spiral Tap, there was really no doubt about this one as Bate hit a standing shooting star press to win.

Backstage, we learn Chris Danger has arranged for Consequences Creed to face Phoenix Nitro next week and that Conor McGregor is bringing his business and combat acumen back to GAW soon. 

Claudio Castagnoli impressed everyone with his performance against Matt Hardy last week and he’s tested again tonight against Hernandez. While the big man was able to counter Castagnoli at first, even hitting a spinning crucifix bomb, the Swiss Superman was not to be denied. He hit three massive upercuts in a row and locked Hernandez in a Sharpshooter for his second win in as many weeks. But after the match, different music hit and the fans went wild. European wrestling legend William Regal came out to the ring and asked Castagnoli, very simply, to consider Adam Cole’s offer to join the Black and Gold. Does this mean Regal has aligned himself with Cole??

We see a scary scene as Aleister Black warns Matt Riddle the House of Black demands perfection and, with new recruits coming in, Riddle won’t survive if he doesn’t up his game.

In our main event, Adam Cole makes his singles return to face down an old foe, Kofi Kingston. The two battled over the Intercontinental Title two years ago and it’s clear Cole is a different man now. He kicked out of the Trouble in Paradise, a move that spelled doom for him two years ago, and battled the fan favorite in a match that nearly went the distance. But when Kingston went for a second Trouble in Paradise, Cole capitalized, superkicking him to his knees and lowering the Boom to get the win.

After the match, Keith Lee’s music hit and the world champ barreled down to the ring… but he never got there. Bobby Fish attacked him at ringside, preventing the champ from reaching Cole. And as Lee’s future challenger celebrated in the ring, another of Cole’s closest friends made his GAW return. Kyle O’Reilly destroyed Lee with a hockey stick, officially reuniting redDragon in GAW for the first time in four years. The three friends celebrated in the ring as Lee lay motionless two weeks out from his title match with Adam Cole.