Will Ospreay defeat seven opponents in the first ever Clockwork Carnage match for the World Championship in AEW history? WrestleDream:.
By convention, the first round of the match was contested like gloves, with shocking entries.
Ospreay drew the first entry to ensure he would have to fight all seven opponents to defend his title, followed by Konosuke Takeshita as the second entrant. The third participant in the match was Osprey’s United Empire teammate “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and the fourth was in the form of Ricochet. Number five was TNT Champion Darby Allyn, who immediately brought a table to the proceedings.
International champion Kazuchika Okada came in sixth. The seventh contestant, Adam Copeland, made his entrance shortly after the first exit; Takeshita pinned Bayley to prevent her from going to the second round.
Takeshita was trying to make Copeland his second out before getting caught with the Rainmaker for Okada to come out himself. And then Samoa Joe made his eighth entry to start the second round of the bout, which features 15-minute knockdowns like an Iron Man match.
Adam Copeland nearly won the AEW World Championship
Joe scored the first fall after a Musclebuster on Allyn, after which Ricochet sent Joe out of the ring so he could pin Allyn. Okada got his first on the board with a Rainmaker and a rare pin on Copeland. Ospreay got Ricochet first with a Styles Clash, then only got a coffin drop from Allyn for everyone but Copeland.
Aline then went ahead with another pin on Copeland before eating a Hidden Blade for Osprey to pin it on him. Copeland speared Ricochet through a table set up earlier, but he couldn’t get a nearfall on the outside.
Joe then matched Allyn and Osprey by submitting the latter in the Coquina Clutch. He then tried to put Osprey away with the Musclebuster again, but Copeland speared him, allowing him to get that elusive first fall.
Copeland then managed to tie the score with a spear on Ricochet with less than a minute left. And it looked like he might steal the contest completely after landing a spear on Okada. He made the cover just seconds before, but was caught with Ospreay’s Hidden Blade for the winning three count.
After the match, Ospreay looked to celebrate with his title belt before Copeland reached out to him. Ospreay accepted and Copeland brought him over, stating that he would return for the World Title.
Copeland only announced Wednesday that he will retire next year.
