AEW's annual Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal took place on Wednesday night. The fourth time this match has happened, and the winner earns a shot at the holder of the Dynamite Diamond Ring. MJF won the ring in AEW's first year, and he has managed to beat the two following winners of the battle royal, ensuring he has been the only person to ever wear the ring throughout AEW's first four years.
Ricky Starks Thwarts Ethan Page Yet Again
Despite now having the AEW Title to worry about, MJF will defend the Diamond Ring for a third time next week at Winter Is Coming. The battle royal to decide his challenger took place on Dynamite last night, and it's Ricky Starks, a man MJF is becoming incredibly familiar with, who earned the shot. Starks finished the match by eliminating Ethan Page.
RELATED: AEW Dynamite Winners & Losers: William Regal Sendoff, Ricky Starks Is A Star, The Acclaimed Vs. FTR
That marked the second time in less than a month Starks has prevented Page from getting his hands on MJF at the final hurdle. The two were the final competitors in the recent AEW Title eliminator tournament. Speaking of which, since Starks hasn't cashed in that shot yet, his already scheduled match against MJF next week will now be for both the World Title and the Diamond Ring.
The Stakes Have Been Doubled
That means the title shot Starks was already getting just became an even bigger deal. The former FTW Champion will get the opportunity to take everything away from MJF in one fell swoop, and he even managed to get one up on the champ after his battle royal win on Dynamite. MJF attempted to clock Starks with the ring after giving him a low blow, but Starks recovered enough to spear Friedman and leave him laying.
Starks is clearly popular with the fans right now and even though it's unlikely he'll be taking both the ring and the title away from MJF next week, it will be a chance to prove he deserves a seat at AEW's top table. It will also be the first match MJF has wrestled since becoming champion at Full Gear after promising fans he will be a special attraction moving forward now that he has the title.
TheSportster Podcast has returned! Check out the latest episodes of the show where Jim Parsons and Norman Quarrinton cover the latest news and events happening in the worlds of WWE, AEW and more!
