By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 304)
July 30, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Simulcast live on TBS and Max
[Hour One] The Dynamite opening video opened the show… Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone were on commentary, and Justin Roberts was the ring announcer. Excalibur ran through some of the previously advertised matches and segments…
A video package recapped Hangman Page beating Jon Moxley to win the AEW World Championship at AEW All In Texas…
The Outrunners made their entrance while their pre-taped promo aired. The Young Bucks were already in the ring, and Roberts gave them a comically flat introduction. The crowd chanted “jobbers” at them. A pre-taped Bucks’ promo aired with the duo talking about being disrespected…
Powell’s POV: Funny stuff with the Bucks getting the enhancement wrestler introduction. By the way, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett tonight, because he’s filming his own American Eagle jeans ad. Jake will be back on Thursday night with a live review of AEW Collision.
1. “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “The Outrunners” Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd in an AEW Tag Team Title eliminator tournament match. Nick performed a top rope dive onto Floyd on the floor. Nick went to the broadcast table and barked at the Schiavone heading into a picture-in-picture commercial break. [C]
The Bucks continued to dominate the Outrunners coming out of the break. Nick hit a springboard crossbody block on Magnum for a near fall. Floyd eventually took a hot tag and bodyslammed both Bucks. The Outrunners went for their handshake elbow drop on Matt, but Nick broke it up with a superkick.
The Outrunners came back and hit their double elbow drop on Matt for a near fall. Matt low-blowed Magnum while he shielded referee Rick Knox. Matt and Knox argued. Matt shoved Knox, who shoved him back, causing Matt to tumble over Magnum, who covered him for a two count. The Outrunners hit Total Recall on Matt, but Nick broke up the pin. The Bucks came back and hit the TK Driver on Floyd, and then Matt pinned him.
“The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson beat “The Outrunners” Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd in 14:00 to advance to the semifinals of the AEW Tag Team Title eliminator tournament.
The updated brackets showed that the Bucks will face the winners of the Gates of Agony vs. Bandido and Brody King match that will be held on Thursday’s AEW Collision. The semifinal match featuring FTR vs. Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn will also air on Collision.
After the match, AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada came out and joined the Bucks in working over Magnum and Floyd.
Swerve Strickland’s music played, and then he and a dancing Prince Nana headed to ringside. The Outrunners cleared the Bucks from the ring. Swerve entered the ring and joined the Outrunners in taking turns punching Okada. Once things calmed down, Swerve spoke to the Outrunners, then went up top and hit a double stomp onto all three heels on the floor…
Powell’s POV: I thought they might actually give the Outrunners a flukey win because of the current approach they are taking with the Bucks. But no complaints, especially if they are building to another FTR vs. Bucks match in the tournament finals.
Backstage, Renee Paquette tried to interview Mark Briscoe, who asked if she knew where MJF was. Ricochet showed up with “GOA” Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona. Ricochet told Briscoe he should worry about them rather than MJF, or they would send him packing in a coat of his own blood, just as he did at AEW Revolution.
Briscoe said he’s a whole different animal than he was at Revolution. Briscoe said he’s on the warpath and will whoop Ricochet’s ass. Briscoe looked into the camera and started to talk about MJF, but Liona stopped him and told him to show some respect. Ricochet told Briscoe he would see him later and then called him a loser…
Excalibur set up the company’s daily fantasy partner’s ad… [C]
MJF delivered a backstage promo from an echoey hallway in front of The Hurt Syndicate’s dressing room. MJF mentioned his role in Happy Gilmore 2, and then knocked on the door. Shelton Benjamin answered the door. MJF said he was sorry about Bobby Lashley’s actions. He said he and MVP could start to strategize. Benjamin said MVP wasn’t there because he’s disgusted with MJF.
Benjamin brought up Lashley, then asked MVP if he had the time. MJF said no because he gave Benjamin his watch. Benjamin pulled out the watch and said it might be the nicest watch he’s ever seen come from Temu. Benjamin asked MJF if he thinks he’s so stupid he doesn’t know the difference between a Rolex and a cheap knockoff.
Benjamin said that because of the watch, they’ve been on to MJF the entire time. Benjamin said the only reason they didn’t take out MJF months ago was because MVP stuck his neck out for him. Benjamin tossed the watch at MJF. Benjamin gave MJF a thumbs down while adding that he’s out of the Hurt Syndicate…
Tony Schiavone stood in the ring and introduced Christian Cage for an interview. “My name is Christian Cage, and I’m an asshole,” Cage said while being censored. The crowd chanted “asshole” and then Christian wasn’t censored when he said asshole again, but he was when he said the word a third and fourth time.
Christian recalled cashing in and hitting a perfect spear, but then he saw a glimpse of his past. Christian said for a split second, he became an asshole with feelings, and it cost him everything.
Christian said he’s spent more money on the rental cars than Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian have made in their careers. He said he didn’t stick to the plan he had for winning the AEW World Championship because he didn’t think that Nick, Sabian, and Mother Wayne were competent enough to pull it off, so he opted to take a big risk. Christian asked what the three of them would know about taking risks. He said they sat in the lap of luxury and rode his coattails while he made enemies over things he said and did.
Christian recalled saying he would snap Adam Copeland’s neck in front of his children, and then take extra care of Copeland’s wife. Christian recalled saying things about Copeland’s mother.
Christian asked if the things he said were really that bad. He asked if Copeland was going to act like he wasn’t aware of the game within the game. Christian recalled Copeland telling him to go find himself. Christian said maybe he did and maybe he didn’t, but he and Copeland are so different, and yet somehow they are the same.
Schiavone asked about where things stand with The Patriarchy. Christian said they embarrassed him when they left him lying at All In. Christian said Shayna (Mother Wayne) was right about one thing: he did have a hard time getting up that night.
Christian said he’d found himself in holes in the past. He said none of them were as deep or as gaping as the last time he was with Mother Wayne, but he always managed to climb his way out. Christian spoke of the trio being entitled because of him. Christian said he always answered the bell for the things he said.
Christian said Nick has more talent than he ever did. He said Nick was the prodigy and he cared about him, and protected him from everything. Christian said Nick had the audacity to refer to himself as the new face of AEW, now and forever. Christian said Nick has all the tools to be that, but he would have to go through him to get there. Christian said Nick has one dead father, and now a father who is dead to him. Christian announced that he had disowned Nick and Sabian, and then exited the ring.
Shayna Wayne walked out and met Christian on the stage. She tried to slap him, but he blocked it. Christian turned and spotted Sabian coming at him from behind. When Christian turned back toward Mother Wayne, Nick hit him with the ROH TV Title belt. Nick said he disowned Christian. Nick and Sabian grabbed chairs and slammed them on Christian’s head… [C]
Powell’s POV: Nick and Sabian actually slammed the chairs together, so it was a safe spot and a different twist on the standard Conchairto. I liked Christian’s promo, but it felt like he tried to cram in more than he needed to.
Stokely Hathaway delivered a promo while “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler stood behind him. He said Adam Copeland was banned from the building because of what he did to him last week.
The Young Bucks entered the room. Harwood and Wheeler played nice and said they hope to see the Bucks in the finals. The teams shook hands. Hathaway confirmed that the Bucks were no longer bosses in AEW. Hathaway dropped his crutch and yelled to mock them…
Powell’s POV: On second thought, I’m guessing they won’t go with two heel teams in the tournament finals.
Excalibur noted that there was extra security around ringside. Jon Moxley made his entrance through the crowd, and then Hangman Page made his entrance…
2. Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship with everyone banned from ringside. Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. The match spilled over to the floor quickly. Page clotheslined Moxley into the timekeepers’ area. Back in the ring, Page covered Moxley for a two count.
[Hour Two] Moxley took offensive control. The crowd taunted Moxley with “you sold out” chants, which he ignored. Moxley put Page down with a German suplex. Moxley went for another a short time later, but Page landed on his hands and feet and then hit Moxley with a discus rolling elbow strike.
Page hit a pop-up sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Moxley rolled to the floor. Page followed. Moxley played possum and then raked Page’s eyes. Moxley ran Page into the ring steps and then pulled them away from the ring post. Moxley performed a piledriver on top of the ring steps. Moxley spoke into the camera and said, “This is what we do on game day,” going into another PIP break. [C]
After some back-and-forth strikes in the ring, Page suplexed Moxley, who popped right up. Page put him right back down with a big clothesline. Page went to the apron for his finisher, but Moxley dropkicked him to the floor.
Moxley followed Page to the floor and set up for a move on top of the broadcast table, but Page countered into a Deadeye on the desk. An “AEW” chant broke out. Taz pointed out that Page was bleeding from the top of the head. Excalibur attributed the blood to the piledriver on the ring steps.
Back inside the ring, Page performed a tombstone piledriver for a near fall. Page looked to the crowd, but Moxley took him down and put him in a Bulldog Choke. Page escaped the hold and hooked Moxley in LeBell Lock. Moxley scrambled and eventually reached the bottom rope with his foot.
Later, Page had Moxley up for a Deadeye, but when he spun around, Moxley’s leg took out referee Paul Turner. REF BUMP!!! Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli approached the ringside area, but security was waiting.
Marina Shafir showed up and slid the AEW World Championship belt into the ring. Page went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Moxley hit him with the title belt. Moxley made the cover. Turner recovered and made a slow count, and Page kicked out at the last moment.
Security confronted Shafir on the floor. Castagoli eventually pulled Shafir over the barricade. Security followed the Death Riders’ trio, who backed toward the area they came from.
Darby Allin appeared in the rafters. Allin performed a crossbody block onto the security guards and Shafir, and then stood up and celebrated while the fans cheered.
In the ring, Page hit Moxley with a Buckshot Lariat. Moxley came right back with a sleeper and set up for a piledriver, but Page countered into another Deadeye. Page hit another Buckshot Lariat and then pinned Moxley.
Hangman Page defeated Jon Moxley in 26:15 to retain the AEW World Championship.
Page celebrated his win while the broadcast team ran through highlights of the match…
Powell’s POV: I enjoyed the match, which featured strong work from both wrestlers. The big thing working against the match was that I just couldn’t envision a scenario in which they would put the belt back on Moxley. Even so, it was a treat to get a world championship match on television, and bonus points for starting it before the top of the second hour so that we didn’t have a rough idea of when the match would end. God bless Shafir for hanging in there on the Allin dive from the balcony. Castagnoli and Yuta were there, but Allin went just over their heads and onto Shafir and the security guards. Shafir is the only member of the Death Riders that I don’t feel like we need a break from.
A video package aired on Dustin Rhodes vs. Kyle Fletcher in a Chicago Street Fight for the TNT Championship, which headlines Thursday’s Collision… [C]
Athena and Billie Starkz made their entrance. Athena brought her Money in the Bank style contract with her. Toni Storm and Alex Windsor made separate entrances…
3. AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Alex Windsor vs. ROH Women’s Champion Athena and Billie Starkz. The broadcast team played up Luther’s absence. Excalibur said the technical term for his injury is that the bottom fell out. Storm and Windsor danced into the corner before kicking Starkz. They followed up by putting Athena down with a double clothesline, and then bowed to one another.
Later, Starkz catapulted Windsor into a spinebuster from Athena going into a PIP break. [C] Late in the match, Storm knocked Athena off the apron with a hip attack. Storm worked over Starkz with a Thesz Press and punches. Storm played to the crowd, which drew a loud “Toni” chant after she hit a German suplex.
Storm hit Starkz with a hip attack in the corner. Schiavone pointed out that Athena made a blind tag. Athena went up top and hit Storm with an O-Face and then pinned her.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena and Billie Starkz defeated AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm and Alex Windsor in 11:25.
After the match, Windsor checked on Storm. Starkz grabbed Windsor and ran her into the barricade. Athena knelt over Storm while holding the MITB-style contract and told her that it’s only a matter of time.
Powell’s POV: A strong match with a finish that firmly establishes Athena as a threat to Storm’s championship. Those who follow ROH knew that going in, but this gave her a nice boost in the eyes of the other 98 percent of the population. I’m being kind with that estimate.
Backstage, Hangman Page was interviewed by Renee Paquette inside his locker room while two trainers stood by, including one with a neck brace. Paquette asked Page how he was feeling.
MJF walked in and spoke before Page could respond to Paquette. MJF congratulated Page and called him the folk hero and the main character. MJF said the last time he checked, though, heroes don’t stab people in the head with forks.
MJF recalled Page of calling him a coward. MJF said Page is the real coward because he won’t defend the title against him unless he cashes in the title shot he earned by winning the Casino Gauntlet. MJF said he remembered the days when AEW had a real fighting champion in Swerve Strickland.
Page called MJF on trying to goad him into giving him a title shot. Page told MJF that if he wanted a title shot, he needed to fight Mark Briscoe. MJF said it was just a bunch of hicks from the sticks sticking together. Page said he didn’t see the Hurt Syndicate, so he didn’t see what was stopping him from beating MJF’s ass. MJF left the room, and Page called him a coward… [C]
Willow Nightingale was interviewed on the interview set by Alicia Atout, who recalled her challenging Tekla to a match, which has gone unanswered. Willow said she wasn’t leaving Chicago without a fight. She said she went over Thekla’s head and got the match made for Collision…
Powell’s POV: This was an odd promo that didn’t sell me on the match.
Entrances for the final match took place…
4. Mark Briscoe vs. Ricochet. The match started without Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona at ringside, but they walked out once Briscoe took offensive control. The GOA duo climbed on the apron. Ricochet hit a distracted Briscoe from behind and hit him with a suicide dive going into another PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] Excalibur said they had taken their final break. The referee stopped Ricochet from using a chair, which led to Briscoe rolling up a distracted Ricochet for a two count.
Graphics listed the matches for Thursday’s Collision. Kris Statlander being in action was added.
Late in the match, Liona shoved Briscoe off the apron while Kaun distracted the referee. Ricochet hit Vertigo on Briscoe for a near fall. Brody King and Bandido ran out and fought GOA to the back while Excalibur hyped the two teams meeting in a tournament match on Collision. Briscoe turned Ricochet inside out with a lariat. Briscoe followed up with a Jay Driller for the win.
Mark Briscoe defeated Ricochet in roughly 13:15.
Briscoe took the mic and said they were just getting started. Briscoe said MJF brought up his brother’s name once, shame on him. He said he brought it forth again, and shame on Briscoe if he didn’t obliterate MJF’s ass. Briscoe said he never felt like he did before. “I need help, man,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe said that for the first time, he felt like he might not see his brother again. He said his brother is in heaven, but if he kills MJF then he wouldn’t be able to repent because he wouldn’t have the slightest bit of remorse. Briscoe called out MJF.
MJF’s entrance music played. MJF appeared on the big screen and mocked Briscoe for thinking he might come out. He asked if Briscoe dropped the comedy routine. He said Briscoe sounded serious, but he didn’t have to take him seriously. MJF said he spoke to “that mark Tony Khan.” MJF said he and Briscoe will meet in next week’s main event. “That is, of course, if you make it,” MJF closed.
MJF entered the ring behind Briscoe and kicked him below the belt once he turned around. “Who’s the coward now?” MJF yelled. He looked into a ringside camera and asked, “Who’s the coward now, Hangman?” MJF, who wore an “MJF Did Nothing Wrong” t-shirt, choked Briscoe and then pulled out the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
Hangman Page came out and hit MJF with a big boot from the apron. Page set up for a Buckshot Lariat, but Briscoe grabbed MJF and set up for a Jay Driller. MJF broke free from Briscoe and then left the ring and ran to the stage. The fans serenaded MJF with a “coward” chant. Excalibur said MJF vs. Briscoe was official for next week’s Dynamite. The Collision match graphics were also shown for Thursday’s show. Excalibur wrapped up the show with a plug for Collision…
Powell’s POV: Briscoe continues to rack up wins. Ricochet has taken more losses than I prefer, but hopefully the addition of GOA to his act means more wins are coming. Briscoe going over was the logical move given the story they have been telling with him, and I like that they set up his match with MJF for next week rather than wait to announce it on Collision when they will have fewer viewers.
Overall, this was a strong episode. The AEW World Championship match was the highlight. There’s always a chance that the rest of the show could feel flat when you deliver the main event early like they did, but the last two matches were actually a lot of fun. I will be back later tonight with a same-night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Dynamite by grading the show below.
Join Jake Barnett for his live review of AEW Collision on Thursday.
I’m filling in for Jake Barnett tonight, because he’s filming his own American Eagle jeans ad.
LOL, that was good…at least he’s not throwing out the first pitch somewhere… I mean it doesn’t seem to go very well for the wrestling community.
Nor does playing beer league softball at my age!
Filling almost the entire show with the people that have consistently driven away viewers is definitely a choice. The 99.9% of wrestling fans that don’t watch aren’t coming back for more of Magnum LGBTA and Dick and his magical Dick Riders fighting over the title.
Maybe Tony is tired of his terrible toy and wants TNT to pull the plug?
crickets
Yet, here you are.
Yeah, not watching the shitty product but checking to see if there’s anything that might be interesting enough to find a clip of.
How god damn retarded do you have to be to think that correctly pointing out how fucking stupid it is for a company to double down on god awful wrestlers that their own fanbase changes the channel on is something a “gotcha” moment?
Go lick a window, Corky.