Holiday Bash (2023)
{{Short description|All Elite Wrestling three-part television special}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox professional wrestling event
|name = Holiday Bash
|image = AEW Holiday Bash 23.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Promotional poster for the Dynamite broadcast
|promotion = All Elite Wrestling
|tagline =
|liveevent = Y
|date = December 20 and 23, 2023
|date_aired = December 20, 22, and 23, 2023
|city = Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Dec. 20)
San Antonio, Texas (Dec. 23)
|venue = Paycom Center (Oklahoma City)
Frost Bank Center (San Antonio)
|attendance = Night 1: 4,631[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=378396 Holiday Bash 2023 - Tag 1] CageMatch
Night 2: 4,631[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=378397 Holiday Bash] CageMatch
Night 3: 4,874[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=378832 Holiday Bash] CageMatch
|lastevent = 2022
|nextevent = 2024
|event = AEW Dynamite special episodes
|lastevent2 = Winter Is Coming
|nextevent2 = New Year's Smash
|event2 = AEW Rampage special episodes
|lastevent3 = Winter Is Coming
|nextevent3 = New Year's Smash
|event3 = AEW Collision special episodes
|lastevent4 = Winter Is Coming
|nextevent4 = Collision's 1 Year Anniversary
}}
The 2023 Holiday Bash was the fourth annual Holiday Bash professional wrestling Christmas television special produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It took place on December 20 and 23, 2023. While the prior two events were two-part events, airing as special episodes of Wednesday Night Dynamite and Friday Night Rampage, the 2023 event expanded Holiday Bash to a three-part special, also encompassing Saturday Night Collision. Dynamite aired live on December 20 on TBS and was held at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, while Rampage was taped that same night and aired on tape delay on December 22 on TNT. Collision aired live on December 23 on TNT and was held at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
A total of 15 matches were contested across the three broadcasts; five aired live on Dynamite with four taped for Rampage, and then six aired live on Collision. In the main event of the Dynamite broadcast, Jay White defeated Jon Moxley in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic tournament. In the main event of the Rampage broadcast, El Hijo del Vikingo defeated Black Taurus to retain the AAA Mega Championship of the Mexican promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. In the main event of the Collision broadcast, Eddie Kingston defeated Andrade El Idolo in a Blue League match of the Continental Classic tournament. The Collision broadcast was also notable for Thunder Rosa's first match since August 2022 due to a back injury.
Production
| class=wikitable style="font-size:90%; margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 1em; float: right; clear: right;"
|+ Other on-screen personnel !Role !Name |
| rowspan=9|Commentators
|Excalibur {{small|(Dynamite, Rampage)}} |
| Tony Schiavone {{small|(all three shows)}} |
| Taz {{small|(Dynamite)}} |
| Toni Storm {{small|(Dynamite - Riho vs. Saraya)}} |
| Jim Ross {{small|(Dynamite - main event)}} |
| Chris Jericho {{small|(Rampage)}} |
| Kevin Kelly {{small|(Collision)}} |
| Nigel McGuinness {{small|(Collision)}} |
| Matt Menard {{small|(Collision - Garcia vs. King)}} |
| rowspan=2|Ring announcers
|Justin Roberts {{small|(Dynamite, Rampage)}} |
| Dasha Gonzalez {{small|(Collision)}} |
| rowspan=7|Referees |
| Bryce Remsberg |
| Mike Posey |
| Paul Turner |
| Rick Knox |
| Brandon Martinez |
| Stephon Smith |
| rowspan=2|Interviewers |
| Lexy Nair |
=Background=
Holiday Bash is an annual professional wrestling Christmas television special produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since 2020. While the original event only aired as a special episode of AEW's flagship program, Wednesday Night Dynamite,{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/aew-announces-holiday-bash-new-years-smash-special-events-327196|title=AEW ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY BASH, NEW YEAR'S SMASH SPECIAL EVENTS|date=December 9, 2020|last=Rose|first=Bryan|work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online|access-date=December 27, 2021}} the 2021 event expanded it to a two-part event, with the second part airing as a special episode of Friday Night Rampage (although in 2021, Rampage aired on Saturday instead of its usual Friday slot).{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/aew-holiday-bash-set-both-dynamite-christmas-night-rampage-362021|title=AEW HOLIDAY BASH SET FOR BOTH DYNAMITE, CHRISTMAS NIGHT RAMPAGE|last=Nason|first=Josh|date=December 8, 2021|access-date=December 9, 2021|work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online}} The 2023 event was then expanded to a three-part event, with the third night airing as a special episode of Saturday Night Collision, AEW's third weekly program that launched in June 2023. Dynamite aired live on December 20 on TBS and was held at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, while Rampage was taped that same night and aired on tape delay on December 22 on TNT.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2023/12/20/24008574/aew-dynamite-holiday-bash-results-live-blog-dec-20-2023-gold-league-continental-classic|title=AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash results, live blog (Dec. 20, 2023): Gold League wraps up|date=December 20, 2023|last=Elizabeth|first=Claire|work=Cageside Seats|access-date =December 27, 2023}} Collision aired live on December 23 on TNT and was held at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/trios-championship-match-set-for-next-weeks-aew-collision-holiday-bash|title=Trios Championship match announced for next week's AEW Collision Holiday Bash|date=December 16, 2023|last=Rose|first=Bryan|work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online|access-date=December 18, 2023}}
=Storylines=
Holiday Bash featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines, written by AEW's writers.{{cite web|title=How Pro Wrestling Works|url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|work=HowStuffWorks|date=January 13, 2006|publisher=Discovery Communications|access-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|archive-date=November 29, 2013}} Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision.
Aftermath
The League Finals of the Continental Classic tournament were scheduled for the following week's Dynamite: New Year's Smash. As a result of Jay White's win over Jon Moxley on Dynamite: Holiday Bash, that tied him in points with Moxley and Swerve Strickland, with the three facing off in a three-way match in the Gold League Final. Additionally, due to Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli's time limit draw on Collision: Holiday Bash, that kept Danielson ahead in points to face Eddie Kingston in the Blue League Final. At Dynamite: New Year's Smash, Moxley and Kingston won their respective League Final matches to face each other in the Championship Final at Worlds End.{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/12/27/aew-dynamite-results-12-27-powells-live-review-of-swerve-strickland-vs-jon-moxley-vs-jay-white-and-bryan-danielson-and-eddie-kingston-in-continental-classic-semifinal-matches/|title=AEW Dynamite results (12/27): Powell's live review of Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley vs. Jay White, and Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston in Continental Classic semifinal matches|date=December 27, 2023|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=December 27, 2023}}
Results
=Night 1=
{{Pro wrestling results table
|caption = Dynamite (aired live December 20)
|match1 = Swerve Strickland defeated Rush by pinfall
|stip1 = AEW Continental Classic Gold League match
|time1 = 14:50
|match2 = Mark Briscoe defeated Jay Lethal by pinfall
|stip2 = AEW Continental Classic Gold League match
|time2 = 13:55
|match3 = Riho defeated Saraya by pinfall
|stip3 = Singles match to determine the #1 contender for the AEW Women's World Championship at Worlds End
|time3 = 6:30
|match4 = Roderick Strong (with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) defeated Komander (with Alex Abrahantes) by pinfall
|stip4 = Singles match
|time4 = 10:00
|match5 = Jay White defeated Jon Moxley by pinfall
|stip5 = AEW Continental Classic Gold League match
|time5 = 15:05
}}
=Night 2=
{{Pro wrestling results table
| caption = Rampage (taped December 20; aired December 22)
| match1 = Orange Cassidy (c) (with Trent Beretta) defeated Rocky Romero by pinfall
| stip1 = Singles match for the AEW International Championship
| time1 = 11:00
| match2 = The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (with Roderick Strong) defeated The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy)
| stip2 = Tag team match
| time2 = 9:00
| match3 = Skye Blue defeated Queen Aminata by submission
| stip3 = Singles match
| time3 = 3:30
| match4 = El Hijo del Vikingo (c) defeated Black Taurus by pinfall
| stip4 = Singles match for the AAA Mega Championship
| time4 = 14:00
}}
=Night 3=
{{Pro wrestling results table
|caption = Collision (aired live December 23)
|match1 = Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli ended in a time limit draw
|stip1 = AEW Continental Classic Blue League match
|time1 = 20:00
|match2 = Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) (c) defeated Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) and Action Andretti by pinfall
|stip2 = Trios match for the AEW World Trios Championship
|time2 = 9:20
|match3 = Keith Lee defeated Brian Cage (with Prince Nana) by pinfall
|stip3 = Singles match
|time3 = 9:55
|match4 = Daniel Garcia defeated Brody King by pinfall
|stip4 = AEW Continental Classic Blue League match
|time4 = 10:20
|match5 = Thunder Rosa and Abadon defeated Julia Hart and Skye Blue by pinfall
|stip5 = Tag team match
|time5 = 9:00
|match6 = Eddie Kingston defeated Andrade El Idolo by pinfall
|stip6 = AEW Continental Classic Blue League match
|time6 = 15:30
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.allelitewrestling.com/|All Elite Wrestling Official website}}
{{All Elite Wrestling events|Holiday Bash}}
Category:2020s American television specials
Category:2023 American television episodes
Category:2023 in professional wrestling
Category:December 2023 in the United States
Category:Professional wrestling shows in Texas