AEW Dynamite featured several major developments on the road to AEW Forbidden Door, with rivalries intensifying across the card and tournament stakes continuing to rise. Kenny Omega found himself face-to-face with Zack Sabre Jr., Mercedes Mone advanced in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and tensions exploded between Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland ahead of their highly anticipated showdown.
Last night’s AEW Dynamite also saw Jon Moxley issue a championship challenge, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage continue their war with The Dogs, and MJF further align himself with the Don Callis Family as the two sides prepared for the upcoming Twelve-Man Steel Cage Match at Forbidden Door.
Dynamite opened backstage with Lexy Nair interviewing MJF alongside members of the Don Callis Family.
MJF praised Kevin Knight and spoke confidently about his own future, taking aim at Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay, and Kenny Omega in the process. Don Callis then revealed the full lineup for his team in the upcoming Twelve Man Steel Cage Match at Forbidden Door, announcing that Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, and Andrade El Idolo would join MJF.
The announcement appeared to catch Andrade off guard, but Callis attempted to reassure him by calling him a future AEW World Champion and insisting he take part in the bout.
Kenny Omega vs. Tony Nese
Kenny Omega wasted little time dispatching Tony Nese in the evening’s first match.
Omega immediately took control with a Snap Dragon suplex. When Mark Sterling attempted to create a distraction from ringside, Omega knocked him off the apron with a knee strike before planting Nese with the One Winged Angel for a decisive victory.
Winner: Kenny Omega
Following the match, Omega attempted to address the crowd but was interrupted by Zack Sabre Jr., who arrived alongside Mikey Nichols and Bad Dude Tito.
Omega welcomed the challenge and spoke about his history with the NJPW star. He noted that a victory over Sabre would strengthen his legacy, while a win over Omega would also look impressive on Sabre’s resume. The segment quickly escalated as both men hinted at a major showdown at Forbidden Door.
The Young Bucks and Jack Perry emerged to stand alongside Omega as the situation grew increasingly tense.
Brodido (Bandido & Brody King) vs. Death Riders (Daniel Garcia & Jon Moxley)
Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia represented the Death Riders against the team of Brody King and Bandido.
Bandido and Garcia started the contest with a competitive exchange before the action escalated when King and Moxley entered the match. The two powerhouses traded heavy strikes and chops, setting the tone for a physical encounter.
The Death Riders frequently relied on outside interference and distractions. Marina Shafir became involved at several points, creating openings for Moxley and Garcia to gain control. Moxley punished King on the floor with a piledriver and repeatedly targeted both opponents whenever opportunities arose.
Bandido eventually rallied his team back into the match, showcasing his athleticism with several impressive offensive bursts. One of the night’s biggest moments came when he hoisted Shafir into a delayed vertical suplex after she entered the ring.
The closing moments saw chaos break out. King neutralised Moxley with a dive to the outside, leaving Garcia alone inside the ring. Bandido capitalised by planting Garcia with the 21 Plex and scoring the pinfall victory.
Winners: Brody King and Bandido
Backstage, Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada were shown standing over a fallen Tomohiro Ishii.
The attack appeared designed to prevent Ishii from joining Mark Briscoe‘s team for the upcoming Forbidden Door Steel Cage Match, creating another obstacle for the babyface side heading into the event.
A separate backstage confrontation saw The Dogs preparing for an appearance when a hooded figure revealed himself to be Adam Copeland.
Christian Cage soon emerged from the shadows and joined Copeland in attacking David Finlay and Clark Connors. The fight spilled toward ringside before Finlay and Connors eventually retreated through the crowd.
Once the dust settled, Cage and Copeland addressed their rivals. Cage joked about the team’s name before Copeland compared The Dogs to a younger version of himself and Christian. While acknowledging their recent success, Copeland warned that experience would ultimately prevail.
He promised that he and Cage would use their knowledge, toughness and veteran instincts to ensure The Dogs left their encounter battered and humbled.
Another backstage segment featured Lexy Nair interviewing Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia and Marina Shafir alongside Brody King and Bandido.
Following Bandido’s victory earlier in the evening, Moxley offered him an opportunity to challenge for the AEW Continental Championship, setting the stage for a future title encounter.
Owen Hart Foundation 2026 Women’s Tournament Semi-Final Match: Mercedes Mone vs. Hazuki
Mercedes Mone met Hazuki in a Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament semi-final bout.
Hazuki immediately proved she belonged on the big stage, taking the fight to Mone and repeatedly forcing the champion onto the defensive. Her speed and aggression created numerous problems, and she nearly pulled off a major upset after landing several high-impact moves.
The match remained highly competitive throughout multiple commercial breaks. Hazuki repeatedly targeted Mone with submissions and high-risk attacks, while Mone responded with her trademark combination of technical wrestling and resilience.
As the contest reached its climax, both competitors exchanged counters and near falls. Hazuki continued fighting despite being trapped in dangerous positions, but Mone finally secured control by locking in the Statement Maker.
Unable to escape the hold, Hazuki was forced to submit.
Winner: Mercedes Mone
With the victory, Mone advanced further in the tournament and remained on course toward adding another major accolade to her growing list of accomplishments.
One of the most memorable segments of the night featured Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland meeting face-to-face.
Tony Schiavone first congratulated Ospreay on his recent marriage to Alex Windsor. Ospreay explained that while he was technically supposed to be on his honeymoon, Windsor encouraged him to appear because of how much the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament means to him.
The mood quickly changed when Strickland arrived with Prince Nana.
Strickland accused Ospreay of changing, citing his recent interactions with the Death Riders. Ospreay defended his actions, explaining that he had accepted help and adapted his approach after everything he had experienced over the past year.
The conversation became increasingly personal.
Ospreay questioned why Strickland had not supported him during previous battles against the Death Riders. Strickland countered by arguing that Ospreay’s judgement had repeatedly failed those around him. He referenced “Hangman” Adam Page and suggested that following Ospreay’s lead had produced disappointing results.
Both men traded increasingly sharp remarks as the audience reacted loudly throughout the exchange.
The confrontation finally turned physical when Ospreay struck Strickland. Before things could escalate further, Prince Nana handed Strickland a chain.
At that moment, the Death Riders emerged and surrounded the ring. Rather than engage in a fight, Strickland exited, leaving Ospreay to deal with the situation.
The segment further intensified anticipation for the Owen Hart Tournament final and reinforced the growing tension between two of AEW’s biggest stars.
Backstage, Ospreay sought answers from Daniel Garcia and the Death Riders following their interruption.
He confronted Garcia directly before Moxley advised him to remain patient and focused. The brief exchange continued the ongoing issues between Ospreay and the group.
12 Man Tag Team Match: Don Callis Family (Andrade El Idolo, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher) & MJF vs. Darby Allin, Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Briscoe & The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong)
The night’s main event featured MJF teaming with Andrade El Idolo, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher against Darby Allin, Konosuke Takeshita, Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong.
Before the match began, Briscoe revealed the final members of his team for the upcoming Steel Cage Match, announcing that Takeshita and Darby Allin would join the babyface side after Ishii’s removal earlier in the evening.
The match itself was chaotic from the opening bell.
MJF attempted to avoid Briscoe early by tagging out immediately. Andrade entered the match but found himself overwhelmed as Briscoe brought the fight directly to him. The action soon broke down into a series of multi-man exchanges involving all twelve competitors.
Orange Cassidy generated one of the lighter moments of the contest when he ripped away Andrade’s pants, revealing bright yellow trunks underneath.
As the match progressed, tensions within the Don Callis Family emerged. Fletcher and Knight argued over who deserved opportunities to inflict punishment on Darby Allin, while Andrade repeatedly appeared uncomfortable with some of MJF’s actions.
The babyface team frequently gained momentum thanks to Strong, O’Reilly, Cassidy and Takeshita, but the sheer numbers advantage of the opposing side repeatedly swung the momentum back.
Outside the ring, Allin and Knight brawled into the crowd and onto the entrance stage. The fight ended dramatically when Doyle assisted Knight, sending Allin crashing into the ring post.
Inside the ring, Briscoe appeared poised to secure victory after planting MJF with a J-Driller. However, Don Callis distracted the referee, preventing the pinfall from being counted.
The interference proved decisive.
Moments later, Strong found himself trapped in MJF’s Salt of the Earth armbar. With nowhere to go, Strong tapped out.
Winners: MJF, Andrade El Idolo, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada, Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher
After the bell, the victorious team continued their assault on the opposition.
The Don Callis Family and MJF attacked members of The Conglomeration, Takeshita and Allin as the chaos continued. Andrade initially appeared reluctant to participate and even attempted to stop MJF from attacking Briscoe.
That hesitation created friction between Andrade and MJF, who exchanged words before Callis stepped in to defuse the situation.
Ultimately, Andrade chose to assist his teammates. He held Briscoe in position, allowing MJF to strike him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
With Briscoe laid out and the babyface team scattered, MJF and the Don Callis Family stood tall as Dynamite went off the air, sending a clear message ahead of Forbidden Door.
