AEW Dynamite delivered a packed episode built around championship implications, personal grudges, and major movement toward Dynasty, with Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, MJF, and Darby Allin all central to the night’s biggest developments.
From the opening bell, Dynamite kept its focus on the road ahead while still giving plenty of time to in-ring action. Omega and Swerve Strickland set the tone with a physical opener, Moxley answered Will Ospreay’s challenge, MJF made his next title direction clear, and the closing moments left Allin laid out after a brutal post-match assault. Across the card, the show also featured strong performances from Mike Bailey, Thekla, and The Death Riders, while FTR continued to lean fully into their bitter split from Adam Copeland.
Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland
Kenny Omega opened the show by making his way to the ring, with Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana following for what immediately felt like a major bout. The two wasted no time once the bell rang, locking up before Omega quickly took the action outside. Omega flew out of the ring to wipe out Strickland, then sent him into the barricade before following up with a variation of a senton as Strickland sat in a chair at ringside.
Back inside the ring, Strickland slowed things down and took control with a submission before unloading with chops. Omega responded with kicks and a clothesline, then followed up with a moonsault off the middle rope for a near fall. The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued as Omega landed a V-Trigger to the back of Strickland’s neck while Strickland was draped over the middle rope.
Omega looked to be building momentum, but Strickland found openings wherever he could. After escaping from an Electric Chair position on the ropes, Strickland created a chaotic tumble that sent both men crashing down. Following the break, Strickland distracted the referee and landed a low blow on Omega on the apron, then drove him down with a piledriver on top of the barricade in one of the most punishing spots of the match.
That still was not enough to put Omega away. Strickland connected with a House Call, then followed with a Swerve Stomp as Omega was draped through the ropes, and another from the top rope, but Omega refused to stay down. Omega answered with another flurry of knees and finally regained control with a V-Trigger before trying to set up the One-Winged Angel. Strickland escaped, raked the eyes, and landed a piledriver of his own, but again could not finish the job.
In the end, Omega found the opening he needed, landing another V-Trigger before finally connecting with the One Winged Angel to secure the victory in a statement performance.
Winner: Kenny Omega
Following the opener, a video package aired featuring Will Ospreay, who addressed Jon Moxley directly. Ospreay thanked Moxley for giving him time with his son, but made it clear that any gratitude ended there.
He said he could not forgive Moxley for hurting him in front of his family and friends at AEW All Out, and challenged Moxley to face him at AEW Dynasty. The promo added another layer of emotion to what is already shaping up to be a personal rivalry.
The Death Riders (Daniel Garcia, Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir) vs. SkyFlight (Dante Martin, Darius Martin & Zayda Steel)
The Death Riders then made their entrance, with Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia, and Marina Shafir taking on SkyFlight, made up of Dante Martin, Darius Martin, and Zayda Steel.
The match began in chaotic fashion, with Moxley and Garcia brawling with Top Flight on the outside while Shafir and Steel went at it in the ring. Steel showed impressive fire early, even landing a diving hurricanrana on Shafir from the top rope, but The Death Riders gradually regained control.
Garcia and Moxley worked effectively in tandem, isolating Darius Martin and cutting off SkyFlight’s momentum. Dante and Darius briefly turned the tide with quick tags and fast-paced offence, while Steel also had her own standout sequence later in the contest, taking the fight to Shafir with a Tornado DDT in the corner and a crossbody off the middle rope.
Still, the numbers game and outside interference worked in favour of The Death Riders. Wheeler Yuta got involved at a crucial moment, grabbing Steel’s ankle from the floor. That opened the door for Shafir to strike from behind. As the match broke down further, Garcia trapped Darius in the Dragon Tamer while Moxley and Shafir neutralised the others. Moxley then drove Darius down with a curb stomp, and Garcia followed up with the pinfall.
Winners: The Death Riders
After the match, Moxley took the microphone and responded to Ospreay’s earlier message. He accepted the challenge for Dynasty and said that while the issues between them were not personal to him, Ospreay could have the grudge match he wanted.
That short response was enough to make the match feel official in spirit, even if Moxley remained cold and detached in how he framed the situation.
Mike Bailey vs. Rocky Romero
“Speedball” Mike Bailey then headed to the ring for a singles match against Rocky Romero, who was already waiting.
Bailey wasted no time asserting himself. He opened with his trademark rapid-fire kicks, then flew to the outside with a moonsault. Back inside, he followed up with his signature double knees off the middle rope and put Romero away almost immediately.
It was a decisive win and another reminder of how dangerous Bailey can be when he gets on a roll.
Winner: “Speedball” Mike Bailey
MJF followed that with a promo in the ring, demanding respect from the crowd as AEW World Champion. He gloated about having hanged “Hangman” Adam Page, insisted that Page could never challenge for the title again, and claimed that their Texas Death Match at Revolution had been the easiest match of his career.
MJF said there was no greater prize in wrestling than the AEW World Championship and declared that nobody deserved it more than he did. He also leaned heavily into calling himself “The Devil”, presenting himself as beyond comparison.
That brought Kenny Omega back out to the ring following his earlier win. Omega mocked MJF’s current state, comparing it to his own after the battle with Strickland, and took issue with how MJF placed himself above everyone else. Omega said that even at his worst as a villain, he had never put himself on such a pedestal.
Omega responded to MJF’s “Devil” nickname by declaring that if MJF was the devil, then he was “The God of Professional Wrestling.” He admitted that failing to beat Strickland in their first match on the February 18 episode of Dynamite had taught him that wrestling was about more than just what happens inside the ropes. He also told MJF that the version of himself now was close to 100 per cent and simply better.
Omega then extended his hand and formally challenged MJF for the AEW World Championship at Dynasty. MJF accepted the challenge but refused the handshake and walked away.
As the champion headed up the ramp, Omega told him it was fine that he did not shake hands because everybody had already heard his catchphrase too many times. It was a strong verbal segment that firmly established the Dynasty title match.
FTR and Stokely then appeared on the entrance ramp to continue addressing their split from Adam Copeland.
Cash Wheeler said that he and Dax Harwood had made the choice to cast off what he described as dead weight after hearing a message Copeland had sent through Renee Paquette backstage. Wheeler reflected on living in Copeland’s guest house in 2009 and eating his food, but said that Harwood and Stokely were his family now, not Copeland or even his own relatives.
Harwood then took things in a darker direction, saying he loved what they had done to Beth Phoenix because it had made Copeland question himself. He warned Copeland to think carefully about what might come next after what had already been done to Phoenix. It was one of the most vicious promos FTR has delivered since the turn.
The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay) vs. The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong)
The Conglomeration then made their way out for tag team action, although not before being shoved on the ramp by FTR. Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong represented the group against The Dogs, Clark Connors and David Finlay.
The match started with Finlay and Strong before tags quickly brought Cassidy and Connors in. Cassidy brought some trademark unpredictability early, including a double hurricanrana that sent both Dogs to the floor. However, Finlay and Connors soon took over, cutting off Cassidy and using the break to take control.
After the commercial, Cassidy landed a Stun-Dog Millionaire on Finlay to create separation. Strong came in hot and briefly swung momentum back with his high-energy offence, but The Dogs remained dangerous every time an opening presented itself.
A key turning point came when Finlay avoided disaster on Strong’s shoulders, and Cassidy lost position on the ropes. From there, the heels took advantage. Cassidy fired back with a double dropkick and looked for the Orange Punch, but Connors avoided it. The Dogs then hit a double-team finish on Cassidy to secure the win.
Winners: The Dogs
AEW Women’s World Title Match: Thekla (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
The AEW Women’s World Championship was then on the line as Thekla defended against Mina Shirakawa.
The two opened with a quick lock-up before Shirakawa landed a Tornillo and later spiked Thekla with a DDT from the apron. It was a spirited challenge from Shirakawa, who looked to unsettle the champion with her speed and aggression.
After the break, Thekla taunted her opponent by mocking Shirakawa’s pose and looking increasingly comfortable. Shirakawa fought back with right hands and a dropkick from the middle rope, earning a near fall that briefly hinted at a title change.
The champion, however, resorted to underhanded tactics when the pressure increased. After removing her belt to distract the referee, Thekla slipped on a pair of brass knuckles and cracked Shirakawa with the illegal shot. She followed with the Knuckle Buster and stole the victory.
Winner: Thekla
No Count Out Match: Darby Allin vs. Rush
The main event of the night was a No Count Out Match between Rush and Darby Allin, and it was as wild as expected from the outset.
The two brawled immediately on the floor, with Rush sending Allin into the steel steps twice. Allin responded by trapping Rush inside the ring skirt and repeatedly bouncing his head off the apron. The fight stayed ugly and chaotic throughout, with neither man showing much concern for self-preservation.
After the break, they traded strikes in the ring before Rush connected with an elbow in the corner and charged for the Bull’s Horns. Allin moved, sending Rush crashing into the turnbuckles. Darby then capitalised quickly and scored the pinfall.
Winner: Darby Allin
That should have been the end of it, but the closing angle pushed things even further. Mark Davis appeared on the ramp and drilled Allin with a piledriver. Don Callis then emerged alongside Andrade El Idolo, Lance Archer, Rocky Romero, and Trent Beretta.
As Andrade appeared to question why Callis had agreed to accept money from MJF to take out Allin, the rest of the group carried on the assault inside the ring. Romero, Beretta, Davis, and Archer all joined in the beatdown, leaving Allin helpless as The Don Callis Family stood tall to close the show.
It was a brutal final image, and one that left multiple questions hanging over Dynamite as Dynasty approaches.
