AEW Worlds End Zero Hour pre-show results: Toni Storm vs. Leila Gray, QT Marshall vs. Jeff Jarrett, The Outrunners and Top Flight vs. Lio Rush, Action Andretti, Lance Archer and Brian Cage

By Jason PowellProWrestling.net Publisher (@prowrestlingnet)

AEW Worlds End Zero Hour Pre-Show
Broadcast live on December 28, 2024 on AEW’s social media platforms
Orlando, Florida at Addition Financial Arena

-Renee Paquette hosted the show from a desk set up just behind the ringside barrier. She was joined by RJ City and Matt Menard.

-Mark Sterling joined the panel to discuss some of the top card games.

– A maneuvered truck has arrived. Mercedes Mone left the passenger seat and told Orlando to say hello to his CEO.

-Madison Rayne replaced Sterling as a panel guest and discussed the women’s title fights.

-Lexi Nair interviewed Leila Gray backstage about her pre-show match with Toni Storm. Gray said she has been training at the New Japan Dojo for the past three months. Gray added that she would send Storm into oblivion.

Ring announcer Justin Roberts gave the introduction for the opening match before the show.

1. Toni Storm vs Leila Gray. The broadcast team consisted of Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone. Gray hit a cutter and then used a dragon sleeper, which Storm broke by reaching the bottom rope with her foot. Storm went on the offensive and hit a hip attack.

Storm followed with a suplex into a bridge for a two count. Gray fought back, jumped off the middle rope and performed a neckbreaker for a two count. Gray prepared a suplex, but Storm countered with an inside cradle for the three count…

Toni Storm defeated Leila Gray in 6:50.

Powell’s point of view: A solid start and a given in terms of what we’ve seen from rocker Toni since his return.

-QT Marshall was interviewed by Lexi Nair backstage about his match with Jeff Jarrett. Marshall said Jarrett is a living legend who can still perform at a high level. Marshall said Jarrett was not an innovator or someone who revolutionized the business like he did. Marshall took credit for selling out the building for his match with Big Boom AJ. Marshall said Jarrett was desperate to stay relevant, that Jarrett put himself into his business at ROH Final Battle. Marshall said that Jarrett will be relevant if he beats him because it will go viral and stay forever.

-Mark Briscoe and Daniel Garcia joined Paquette and City to discuss Kyle Fletcher vs. Will Ospreay. Garcia said Fletcher was his pick to win the Continental Classic. Briscoe went with Ospreay. Briscoe also spoke about the difficulty of wrestling twice in one night. Briscoe chose Fletcher to win the tournament while Garcia chose Kazuchika Okada. Briscoe also challenged Garcia to a TNT title match. Garcia said Briscoe deserved a title, just not his title.

2. QT Marshall vs. Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett came out alone but brought his guitar with him to the ring. Marshall caused a lot of excitement early on, including a “QT sucks” chant. Jarrett sent Marshall over the top rope, but Marshall skinned the cat. Jarrett saw Marshall coming and cleared him out of the ring before performing the strut. A shout of “You still got it” rang out. Jarrett made fun of Marshall’s dancing.

Marshall regained offensive control and nearly crashed. Marshall puts Jarrett in a sleeper hold, which Jarrett breaks with a side suplex. Moments later, Marshall attempted a Figure Four, but Jarrett kicked him away. Marshall was caught by the ropes and thrown to the mat. Jarrett deployed a sniper.

Aaron Solo showed up and distracted Jarrett, who released the hold. Marshall rolled up a distracted Jarrett for a two count. Marshall hit Jarrett with his own stroke finisher for a near fall. Marshall told Solo to get Jarrett’s guitar.

Jay Lethal ran and fought Solo before he could hand over the guitar. Jarrett got a couple of two counts on Marshall and then hit The Stroke for the three count…

Jeff Jarrett defeated QT Marshall in 9:25.

Powell’s point of view: The first two matches are examples of good pre-show matches in my opinion. Both matches had the crowd involved without the wrestlers doing a ton of big spots that could hurt the main card.

-Toni Storm was interviewed backstage by Lexi Nair. Storm spoke as if she had won her first pay-per-view match. She said AEW is officially Toni Time. Deonna Purrazzo showed up and introduced herself to Storm as if they had never met before. Purrazzo demanded a match with Storm on Dynamite “for the first time ever.” Storm accepted and thanked Purrazzo for the opportunity. Funny.

-Paquette, City and Menard were talking at their desk. They pointed out that Thunder Rosa’s father was already sitting in the crowd.

3. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum and “Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin vs. Lio Rush, Action Andretti, Lance Archer and Brian Cage (with Don Callis) in an eight-man tag. The Outrunners got a good reaction from the audience at the entrances. The heel team isolated Magnum. Andretti hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Callis took a cheap shot at Magnum while the referee was distracted. A chant of “F-you, Callis” rang out. Excalibur laughed when he pointed out that Schiavone’s cell phone rang during the game. Funny.

Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy, the AEW Tag Team Champions’ “Private Party,” watched the match on a backstage television. Floyd took a hot tag and worked over Rush and Andretti. Cage attempted to overpower both outrunners, but they failed. Floyd attacked Archer with the body slam. The babyfaces did the Outrunners handshake and the elbow drop.

The Outrunners were eliminated at ringside. In the ring, Archer gave Dante a chokeslam and left him beaten, but the Outrunners came back to break up the pin. Rush tagged in himself, which angered Archer. Rush hits a frog splash on Dante and then pins him.

Lio Rush, Action Andretti, Lance Archer and Brian Cage defeated “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum and “Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin in 10:50.

After the game, Private Party performed and played on stage in front of the audience. Schiavone said all four teams want a shot at the title, but Rush and Andretti will have the first chance…

-Backstage, Lexi Nair spoke with Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh. Sonjay Dutt showed up and asked Jarrett why. Jarrett told him it wasn’t his decision. Jarrett said he thinks about his career at this time every year. Jarrett said he would make an announcement regarding his career on Dynamite.

-Paquette and the panel discussed the main card. Paquette thanked Guns N’ Roses and then a Worlds End video for “Welcome to the Jungle” aired at the end of the pre-show.

Join me for my live review of the AEW Worlds End main card in a separate report available via the main page.