"I have never thought of my world as small before."

[Cody Rhodes stands alone in the ring in a darkened arena. It is the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and restrictions on attending events and public gatherings have been introduced all over the world. This is the beginning of the first show AEW has run under those guidelines.]

Cody Rhodes: "I have never thought of my world as small before... But recent events can really put into perspective how small we all are. It has also clarified for me how big, and how important the service we provide is. And the irony in what I'm about to ask is not lost on me, because I'm about to ask three of the best athletes in the world... To discard their petty differences. To put aside those squabbles and to stand together. The irony, it being March 18, 2020, and us as human beings... Need to stand together. And for many of us, that will mean standing at a distance.

[The camera pans around showing the view over Cody's shoulder: There is no one in the stands. The arena is in silence]
We have to be informed, and we have to be held responsible by health and science, but there is a profound difference in that versus living in a prison of fear. And I refuse to live in fear, because that's not living at all. And I don't know about you watching at home -- I feel alive, and I hope you feel alive.

Matt Jackson, I know that you are listening. Save Tony Khan, you are probably second most responsible for AEW even... Existing. I think you're a tag team specialist, an absolute tag team master... But that doesn't mean anything is owed to you. If anything, that means you have to work harder. And your anger last week towards "Hangman" Adam Page was misplaced. I don't need that anger and you don't want that anger. Instead, I need your older brother wisdom. And I need you to carry Nick Jackson's giant heart into this match so that we can win at Blood and Guts [see Note 1].

And speaking of "Hangman" Adam Page... I get tired of putting over "Hangman" Adam Page. I have said in a cornucopia of interviews how I think "Hangman" Adam Page is the best wrestler in all of the Elite. He has a scary combination of light heavyweight skill and accuracy melded with heavyweight stopping power, like the Buckshot Lariat. I thought he was going to be the first AEW World Champion, he is not. He lost to Chris Jericho, so did I. I need you to get over it, 'Hangman'. You don't want to be the 'other guy' in the Elite? Then don't be! Be the difference maker, be the reason that we win at Blood and Guts.

And there is my most unique relationship in all of wrestling, unique friendship, that being Kenny Omega. We don't always like each other. And that's okay. We can argue who we think is 1A and 1B until we are blue in the face and likely someone passes us by. I respect the fact that we don't want to be bridesmaids. Great, this isn't a wedding! It's blood and it's guts! It's grits, it's violence! It takes years off of a career, and I. Need. You. But I need the real... Kenny Omega. I need the one who stood in front of 499 others and declared himself best in the world, I need the best bout machine, Kenny Omega. In short, I need the Elite to be elite."

[Matt Jackson and Kenny walk out from backstage; Cody opens the second rope as they enter the ring.]
Kenny Omega: "You know normally when you'd have a microphone, you'd be speaking in front of an arena full of people, but here we are. Just friends talking to friends.

Y'know we really haven't seen eye-to-eye, Cody. There are times where we've been at each other's throats. But here we are. The entire world is falling apart around us. Everything we've built up could fall apart as of next week. We don't know... If we'll even have a Dynamite next week... But if it's up to me... I want to go out the way that we came in. And that's as the Elite."

[Omega hands the microphone to Matt Jackson]
Matt Jackson: "Cody I l- I l- I Iove the whole call to the action for the Elite. And K- Kenny, everything you're saying, you're not wrong, man. Like-- but y- y- you look in this ring and it's... It's just the three of us. I mean, we saw what happened to my brother Nick last week. We saw what Inner Circle did to Nick. He's out indefinitely. And- and again... It's just the three of us. Where's 'Hangman' Adam Page?"

['Hangman' Adam Page slowly walks out with a glass of whisky in hand, however he remains standing at the entrance, making no further movement towards the ring.]

Hey man, listen. I know that things have been a little strange these past two weeks between the two of us, I get it. An- an- and I'm not saying we can fix this tonight, or even in- in a couple of weeks, it's probably not gonna happen but... I'm asking you as a man, we're asking you, we gotta know. Tonight, and at Blood and Guts, will you stand with us?"

[Hangman raises his glass to the rest of the Elite and nods, before turning and walking backstage.]

Kenny Omega: "Look guys, I'm talking into an arena full of nobody, but I'm actually talking to the people out there in TV-land. I know you're watching, and it's hard to feel your energy, but we know you're out there. And we all mean the best of things for each and every one of you out in the world. So guys, all we can do is our best, all we can do is give you guys the best show that we know we can give. The world goes on, everybody needs entertainment, everybody needs some positivity. So all we can do is give you guys the best possible show that we can give, that the Elite can give, that everyone in All Elite Wrestling can give. So goddamn it, hit the lights, hit the pyro, and let's start Dynamite![see Note 2]"

[The arena lights come up, the pyro goes off and the music swells signifying the show is about to begin.]

- Credit: Thanks to inmate texasyosh for contributing this transcription.

- Note 1: The first 'Blood & Guts' event was originally scheduled to be held on March 25 2020 (one week after this promo) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA but was delayed and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Elite were scheduled to take on The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho,Sammy Guevara,Jake Hager,Santana & Ortiz) in a 'Blood & Guts' match: This is the same as a 'War Games' match (where there are two rings next to each other in a large steel cage) but with a different name due to WWE owning that copyright.

The 'Blood & Guts' name itself was inspired by a quote from then-WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon when he explained the difference between his company and AEW during an investor call by saying "...we're not going to do blood and guts and things of that nature such as being done on perhaps a new potential competitor."

- Note 2: The Elite and The Inner Circle ended up capping off their feud at Double or Nothing 2020 in a cinematic 'Stadium Stampede' match. The inaugural 'Blood & Guts' event and namesake match were eventually held on May 5 2021. A restricted, socially distanced crowd of 1,600 were present. Full crowds returned later that month at Double or Nothing 2021 on May 30th of that year.