By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite Hits
Will Ospreay vs. AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita in an Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament semifinal match: On a night when AEW presented a loaded lineup of matches, Ospreay and Takeshita stole the show. It was great to get a pay-per-view main event caliber match on television. It won’t be for everyone because they went overboard with the near falls, as always, but it was a red hot match for its style. Ospreay advancing in the tournament sets up two seemingly can’t miss scenarios for the finals, as he will face his nemesis Kyle Fletcher or Hangman Page in the finals.
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone vs. ROH Women’s Champion Athena in an Owen Hart Foundation women’s tournament semifinal match: A hot match involving two of the best female wrestlers in the world. I don’t know why Athena was stuck behind the ROH paywall for so long, but I’m happy she’s finally working AEW matches. It was great to see a pinfall finish, even if Mone held the tights. Toni Storm popping up in the balcony section after the match to applaud Mone appeared to foreshadow a showdown match between the two at All In Texas.
Hangman Page vs. Josh Alexander in an Owen Hart Foundation men’s tournament quarterfinal match: They followed the strong women’s match with a good match of their own. Alexander is a nice addition to the AEW roster in that he brings something different to the table. His in-ring style should help him stand out from the high spot artists, and he’s proven that he can have quality matches with damn near anyone. I went in hoping that Alexander wouldn’t be the wild card tournament entrant because I didn’t want to see him take a loss during his debut match. Ultimately, Alexander looked good in a competitive match with a former AEW World Champion, and the cheap shot he gave Page after talking with Don Callis established him as a heel.
Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta vs. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW Trios Titles: The show closed on a high note with Joe choking out Moxley to win the titles for his team. More importantly, it should put Joe back in contention for the AEW World Championship, which he strangely hasn’t shown any interest in since he dropped the title. The champagne party was a nice touch that made the title change feel important while also closing the show with a fun celebration. I still couldn’t care less about the trios titles, but at least an effort was made to make them feel important.
“The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin vs. “Gates of Agony” Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun for the AEW Tag Team Titles: The Hurt Syndicate have been justly criticized for burying opponents in the ring and on the mic. They deserve credit in this case for giving Liona and Kaun a good amount of offense to the point that they looked good in defeat. The post-match angle with MJF was fun. I don’t know where MJF’s ongoing attempts to join the Hurt Syndicate will lead, but they are making good television. It was nice to see Benjamin get a chance to show a little more personality than usual, but it’s strange that The Hurt Syndicate needs MJF to get laid.
Christian Cage and Nick Wayne: The tension continues to build. Young Nick has reached the stage in life where he’s ready to try his old man. The only negative was Christian talking about Nick having a shot at the ROH TV Title. I’ll be blunt, but the masses don’t give a shit about Ring of Honor or its many title belts.
AEW Dynamite Misses
None: My only critique is that AEW could have done a better job with the presentation of the key matches. For instance, it would have been nice to hear from the wrestlers before their tournament matches, even if it meant saving a non-tournament match for tonight’s Collision. But the important thing is that AEW came through with the best episode of Dynamite in 2025 during the biggest week of the year in pro wrestling.
Josh Alexander is a nice addition to the AEW roster, not TNA.