By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW WrestleDream
Aired live October 18, 2025, on pay-per-view
St. Louis, Missouri, at Chaifetz Arena
AEW WrestleDream Pre-Show results: “The Death Riders” Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Pac, and Claudio Castagnoli beat “The Conglomeration” Orange Cassidy, Tomohiro Ishii, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly in 15:30, Eddie Kingston and Hook beat “The Frat House” Griff Garrison and Cole Karter in roughly 3:00, and Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron beat Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford in roughly 12:00…
Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, and Tony Schiavone were on commentary…
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler (w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. “JetSpeed” Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey. This match started on the pre-show and continued into the pay-per-view. FTR hit Knight with the Shatter Machine, but Bailey dove off the top rope and prevented Knight from being pinned.
Knight tagged in and was hit with the Power & Glory move by FTR. Knight dove from the top rope, but Harwood put his knees up. Bailey ducked a Harwood strike that ended up hitting Wheeler and clearing him from the ring. Bayley used a backslide to get a two count.
Bailey had Harwood pinned moments later, but Wheeler broke up the pin. Bailey tried to suplex Harwood from the apron into the ring, but Harwood landed on him and then Hathaway held Harwood’s legs for leverage while he got the pin…
FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated “JetSpeed” Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey in roughly 13:00.
Powell’s POV: It’s an interesting strategy to not deliver a finish to what I considered to be the most appealing pre-show match to the pre-show viewers. The match was good, but it didn’t have any stakes, so I don’t know how many viewers would be motivated to make a last-minute impulse buy to see the finish. I guess AEW officials will find out. If it works, I suspect we’ll see them use this approach again.
Tony Schiavone spoke with Charlie Thesz, the widow of Lou Thesz. Schiavone stood at ringside while she stood in the front row. The fans applauded Charlie, and she spoke briefly… Entrances for the pay-per-view opening match took place…
1. Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla. No wrestlers were allowed at ringside. Hayter had Thekla against the barricade in front of Charlie Thesz. Hayter threw multiple chops at Thekla while Charlie laughed. Thekla battled back and hit a crossbody block from the top rope onto Hayter on the floor. Thekla ran Hayter into the barricade. Thekla offered a handshake to Charlie, and then pulled her hand back when Charlie tried to accept.
Back inside the ring, Thekla applied a Tarantula over the ropes. Hayter powered her into Electric Chair position before collapsing. Hayter came back and had Thekla tied up in a tree of woe while seated on the top rope. Thekla sat up and tried to hit Hayter, who blocked it, and then sent her crashing to the mat with a headbutt.
A short time later, the wrestlers fought while on their knees. Once they got to their feet, Hayter put Thekla down with a big boot. Thekla came right back with an octopus hold, which Hayter broke with a backbreaker. Thekla applied another submission hold on the mat, but Hayter reached the ropes to break it.
Thekla reached for her belt, but the referee scolded her. Hayter put Thekla down with a backbreaker and covered her for a two count. Thekla rallied with a spear and went for a pin, but Hayter’s foot was under the bottom rope. Thekla struck her pose and then stood up and ran into a lariat. Hayter followed up with Hayterade and got the three count.
Jamie Hayter beat Thekla in 15:35.
After the match, Queen Aminata came out and hugged Hayter. Julia Hart and Skye Blue stood on the stage…
Powell’s POV: It was good to see the rare women’s match on AEW pay-per-view that didn’t have a title on the line. It felt like the match could have gone either way, as a good case could be made for either wrestler winning. I liked the match, but I’m not a fan of the finishing sequence making Thekla look like a moron for striking her pose and then running into a clothesline.
A video package set up the money match. A Young Bucks expense report appeared on the screen and listed them as having $32.17. A “transaction denied” graphic appeared along with a computerized voice that said the same. Ring announcer Justin Roberts delivered the introductions for the Bucks. Some fans held out dollar bills. The Bucks went to the broadcast table, where there was another duffel bag filled with the $500,000 match prize. The entrance of Jurassic Express followed…
2. “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “Jurassic Express” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus for $500,000. Yes, of course, Rick Knox was the referee for the Bucks’ match. Luchasaurus performed an early moonsault off the apron onto the Bucks on the floor. The Bucks isolated Perry, who eventually broke free from Matt and dove to make the tag, but Nick kicked Luchasaurus off the apron. Matt speared Perry and covered him for a near fall. The fans chanted, “Oh, you’ve got no money” as the Bucks continued to work over Perry.
The Bucks attempted to do the spot where they bounce an opponent off the top rope, but when they did, Perry took one of them down with a huracanrana. Luchasaurus tagged in and put both Bucks down before going to the middle rope and playing to the crowd. Perry pulled Matt off the apron with a huracanrana. Luchasaurus hoisted up Nick, and Perry hit him with a cutter on the way down, which led to a near fall.
There was a brief, crowd-pleasing game of chicken with Nick and Perry on the shoulders of Matt and Luchasaurus. Moments later, Matt jumped off the apron and hit Luchasaurus with a cutter on the floor, and then Nick hit Perry with a Destoyer on the apron. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Back in the ring, Nick jumped off the top rope and double-stomped Perry into a piledriver from Matt, which led to a near fall.
The Bucks barked at Perry about everything they’ve done for him. They called for a BTE Trigger, but he rolled away. The Bucks got him back and hit the move. Nick had Perry pinned, but Luchasaurus broke it up. McGuinness wondered what Luchasaurus would do with his share of the money (dinowhores?). Jurassic Express rallied and hit a Doomsday Device on Matt for a good near fall. Some fans chanted, “fight forever.”
Perry and Luchasaurus hit their own version of the TK Driver on Matt and had him beat, but Nick broke up the pin. Nick superkicked Perry. The Bucks hit Luchasaurus with a pair of double superkicks. Perry dove off the top rope into a double superkick. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger, but it only resulted in a near fall. The Bucks set up for one of their signature spots on Perry, but Luchasaurus broke it up. Perry hit one of the Bucks with a Poison Rana. Luchasaurus flipped Matt into a powerbomb from Perry, who got the three count.
“Jurassic Express” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus defeated “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson in 21:35 to win $500,000.
After the match, Perry and Luchasaurus were ready to leave, but they stopped and approached the Bucks, who were down on the mat. Perry held out his hands. The Bucks stood up. Perry offered the Bucks some cash. Josh Alexander ran in and hit Perry from behind. Lance Archer and Mark Davis joined Alexander in putting the boots to Jurassic Express. The Young Bucks left the ring rather than save Perry and Luchasaurus.
Kenny Omega made his entrance and approached the Bucks, who held their heads down. Omega gave up on them and charged into the ring to fight the Callis Family trio. Omega, Perry, and Luchasaurus cleared the ring. The babyfaces eventually left the ring together. Omega held up and “Inoki Forever” fan sign…
Powell’s POV: This was a fun spot-heavy tag team match that the live crowd loved. The only potential negative is that these guys kicked out of everything early in the show, and that has led to some near fall numbness late in past AEW pay-per-views.
A video package set up the trios match. The Hurt Syndicate started to make their entrance when they were attacked by The Demand…
3. “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP vs. “The Demand” Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun in a tornado trios match for a shot at the AEW Trios Titles. The referee rewarded the heels for the pre-match attack by calling for the opening bell to start the match. A few minutes into the match, the Demand had Lashley on a table at ringside. Toa handed Benjamin to Ricochet and Kaun, who were standing on the ring steps, and they powerbombed Benjamin onto his partner and through the table.
The Demand worked over MVP inside the ring while Lashley and Benjamin were down on the floor. Lashley and Benjamin eventually recovered. Lashley stood on the middle rope and held up Ricochet for a suplex, when Toa and Kaun returned to the ring and powerbombed Lashley while he suplexed Ricochet. Moments later, Ricochet set up for a dive, but Benjamin cut him off and suplexed him over the top rope onto wrestlers on the floor. Benjamin looked to ringside, smiled, and then hit a big flip dive onto the wrestlers.
MVP got Ricochet down in the ring and hit his Ballin’ elbow. MVP performed a fisherman’s suplex and went for the pin, but Toa broke it up. Toa caught Lashley in a Cobra Clutch until Benjamin broke it up. Benjamin ran the ropes and speared Toa. Ricochet was left alone inside the ring with the Hurt Syndicate, but Kaun pulled him to the floor and took his spot in the ring. MVP kicked Kaun, Benjamin hit him with a knee strike, and then Lashley speared and pinned Kaun…
“The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP defeated “The Demand” Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun in a tornado match in 13:30 to earn a shot at the AEW Trios Titles.
Powell’s POV: I don’t know if the idea is that Kaun is fearless or not very bright. Okay, so I assume it was the former, but it did seem strange that he didn’t just stay at ringside with his partners. Anyway, this was a brawl and a nice change of pace from the previous match.
A video package set up the TNT Title match, and then entrances took place…
4. Kyle Fletcher (w/Don Callis) vs. Mark Briscoe for the TNT Championship. Callis sat in on commentary. Fletcher had an issue removing part of his pre-match garb. Excalibur said Fletcher had a wardrobe malfunction. Callis said Excalibur would love that. Excalibur said he would. Schiavone said they all would. That was an odd exchange, but to each their own.
Fletcher controlled the majority of the early offense and hit a Michinoku Driver that led to a two count. Briscoe got the better of a back-and-forth series of strikes. Fletcher put Briscoe in the corner and threw a series of punches. Briscoe ducked one, and they traded chops. Briscoe caught Fletcher with an enzuigiri and then hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Fletcher came right back with a suplex and a knee strike. Fletcher hit a Last Ride-style powerbomb for a near fall.
Callis pointed out Briscoe’s broken belt and attributed it to Fletcher’s powerbomb. Briscoe got Fletcher seated on the top turnbuckle facing the crowd and then joined him on the middle rope. Briscoe set up for a Razor’s Edge, but Fletcher fought free. Fletcher moved in front of Briscoe on the ropes and then superplexed him.
Later, Briscoe hit Froggy Bow on Fletcher, who was draped over the ropes. Briscoe leapt from the top rope and hit a standing Fletcher with Froggy Bow on the floor. Birscoe rolled Fletcher back inside the ring and hit a traditional Froggy Bow for a strong near fall. Briscoe and Fletcher traded rollup pin attempts. Briscoe used a backslide to get a two count. Briscoe wanted to go for a Jay Driller, but Fletcher tackled him and got a two count. Briscoe hit an exploder suplex.
Fletcher stuffed a Jay Driller and then performed a German suplex. Briscoe popped right up and clotheslined Fletcher. Briscoe hit a Jay Driller, and the fans counted along with the ref’s count for the pin attempt, but Fletcher put his index finger over the bottom rope to break the pin. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Briscoe had Fletcher on his shoulders when Fletcher grabbed the referee. Fletcher slipped away and shoved Briscoe toward the referee, but Briscoe stopped short. Fletcher kicked Briscoe in the balls. Fletcher hit a brainbuster for a near fall. Fletcher launched Briscoe into the middle turnbuckle and then hit a brainbuster on the top turnbuckle for the win…
Kyle Fletcher beat Mark Briscoe in 24:45 to retain the TNT Championship.
After the match, El Clon joined Fletcher and Callis on the stage. Meanwhile, Orange Cassidy, Willow Nightingale, Tomohiro Ishii, and Kyle O’Reilly went to ringside to check on Briscoe…
Powell’s POV: Another strong match from Fletcher and Briscoe. There were a couple of strong near falls down the stretch that the live crowd really bought into. This match was competitive as it should have been, but now it would be nice to see Fletcher mow through some mid-card challengers on television. It would help him stand out more than always having 50/50 matches with damn near everyone he faces.
A video package set up the AEW Women’s Championship match. Toni Storm made her entrance while the screen was black and white. A Kris Statlander video aired, and then she made her entrance with two men who removed part of her attire and remained on the stage while she headed to the ring…
5. Kris Statlander vs. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s Championship. Storm wore black gloves and had white face paint. Storm hit an early hip attack that knocked Statlander off the apron. Storm went for a swinging DDT, but Statlander stuffed it and then catapulted her into the apron. Statlander stood on the apron and performed a moonsault onto Storm on the floor. Statlander hoisted up Storm on her shoulders, walked up the ring steps, and dumped her in the ring. Statlander flipped over the top rope into a leg drop for a near fall.
Statlander dominated the next few minutes until Storm suplexed her. Storm hit a Tiger Driver for a near fall. Storm picked up another near fall, but then Statlander avoided a hip attack and caught her in a submission hold. Dueling chants broke out as Storm came back with a submission hold of her own, which Statlander broke by getting her foot on the bottom rope.
Statlander set up for her finisher, but Storm avoided it and sent her into a corner of the ring. Storm hit a hip attack and followed up with a Storm Zero attempt, but Stalander blocked it with her hands and then a basemet dropkick. Statlander hit a 450 splash from the top rope for a near fall. Storm came back with Storm Zero and went for the pin, but Statlander kicked out at the last moment. Storm showed frustration.
Statlander came back with a near fall, and then they traded German suplexes. Statlander connected with a discus lariat and hit Staturday Night Fever. Statlander caught Storm in a submission hold with her legs around Storm’s head, but Storm rolled on top of her and got a two count. Statlander maintained the hold. McGuinness said Storm was talking trash and said something about a murder while locked in the hold. Statlander released the hold and hit Staturday Night Fever again and got the three count.
Kris Statlander defeated Toni Storm in 16:35 to retain the AEW Women’s Championship.
After the match, Storm hugged Statlander and exited the ring. Schiavone said Storm isn’t done with the title, but this was Statlander’s moment. Statlander’s music played and she held up he title belt.
Powell’s POV: The crowd was quiet, yet attentive for the first half of the babyface vs. babyface match. They got a little louder as the match went on. It didn’t seem like a case of the fans not being invested in the match as much as it seemed like most fans didn’t seem to pick a side. There were dueling chants at one point, but even those were fairly tame. I’m not sure when these two will meet again, but hopefully it’s one of those rivalries that will get better as they have more matches and things start to feel more personal.
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone made her entrance while Statlander was still in the ring. “Frat House” members Griff Garrison, Cole Karter, and Jacked Jameson came out with Mone and carried most of her title belts. Once in the ring, Mone congratulated Statlander on her win, but told her to get the hell out of her ring. Statlander made her exit. Mone asked which champion was going to put their title up against hers. Interim ROH Women’s TV Champion Mina Shirakawa made her entrance…
6. TBS Champion Mercedes Mone vs. Interim ROH Women’s TV Champion Mina Shirakawa in a title vs. title match. Mone hit Three Amigos around five minutes into the match. Mone mocked Shirakawa as she set up for a Figure Four. Shirakaway kicked Mone into the ropes, and then Mone hit a meteora. Mone went up top and dove toward Shirakawa, who put her knees up.
Later, Mone rolled Shirakawa into a pin for a two count, and then immediately applied the Statement Maker. Shirakawa rolled onto Mone and got a two count that forced her to break the hold. Shirakawa went for a Figure Four, but Mone avoided it and then hit her clunky Moneymaker finisher. Mone appeared to have the pin, but Shirakawa reached out and grabbed the bottom rope at the last second.
Mone expressed shock and then frustration. Mone went for her finisher again, but Shirakawa was able push her into the corner a few times. Mone ducked a charging Shirakawa and hooked her into a pin, and then put her feet on the ropes while getting the three count.
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defeated Mina Shirakawa in a title vs. title match in 16:10 to win the Interim ROH Women’s TV Champion.
After the match, Kris Statlander returned to the ring. Mone took a swing at her, but Statlander ducked it and put Mone down with a Samoan Drop. Statlander held up her title belt and pointed at Mone, who had rolled to the floor…
Powell’s POV: The gimmick was that Mone’s challenger had to be a champion who would put their own title on the line. So when Mone walked out after the AEW Women’s Championship match, I thought there was a chance that Statlander was going to put her title on the line and lose with the out being that she was exhausted from the match with Storm. Rather, Statlander just looked like a chump for leaving when Mone told her to. That wasn’t a problem for long, though, as Statlander got the better of Mone after the title vs. title match. The crowd’s reaction to Mone vs. Shirakawa was similar to the previous match in that they were quiet, yet still focused on the match. I can’t blame them for not getting all that fired up to see a match with no storyline build.
A video package set up the AEW Tag Team Title match. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita and AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada made separate entrances. The entrance of Brody King and Bandido followed…
7. “Brodido” Brody King and Bandido vs. Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW Tag Team Titles. Don Callis sat in on commentary. There was a “Brodido” chant when the champions started getting the better of Takeshita while Okada was down on the floor. King and Bandido started doing the Macarena, but Okada turned babyface by putting an end to that shit (fine, Okada is still a heel, and the live crowd was pissed they didn’t get to see the Macarena, so it’s just a grumpy old me thing).
Takeshita bickered with the referee to distract him while Okada ran Bandido’s bad shoulder into the ring post on the floor. Okada rolled Bandido back inside the ring and then dove over the top rope and performed a senton. Okada tagged in Takeshita, who continued to target Bandido’s bad shoulder.
Later, Bandido hit Takeshita with a Poison Rana, but Takeshita stayed on his feet and returned the favor to Bandido. Takeshita ducked a King Lariat, and then King hit a seated Okada with a cannonball in the corner. Takeshita hit King with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Bandido performed a Shooting Star Press on Takeshita and got a good near fall. Callis got up and approached Okada and patted him on the back. Callis returned to commentary, and Okada gave him a thumbs up.
Moments later, King and Okada fought in the ring after Bandido performed a dive onto Takeshita on the floor. King and Bandido double-teamed Okada. The champions hit their kick into a tombstone finisher. King had Okada pinned, but Takeshita returned to the ring to break it up. King put Takeshita on his shoulders while Bandido went to the ropes. Takeshita slipped away and shoved King into the ropes.
Takeshita hit a couple of big moves on King, who stood up and clotheslined him. Bandido jumped off the top rope into a big dropkick from Okada. King executed a clunky and contrived triple German suplex on the other three wrestlers, but it got a big rise out of the crowd. The challengers cleared King and then worked over Bandido, who fought back.
Bandido eventually ducked a Rainmaker from Okada, who took out Takeshita. Okada smiled while Takeshita rolled out of the ring. Bandido hit Okada with a GTS and followed up with a 21 Plex attempt, but his shoulder gave out. Bandido ducked a Rainmaker, and King was there to put Okada down. King performed a suicide dive on Takeshita. Bandido hit Okada with the 21 Plex and then pinned him…
“Brodido” Brody King and Bandido defeated Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita in 27:25 to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles.
After the match, Bandido’s young son celebrated with his father. Bandido was about to leave the ring, but King stopped him and they did the Macarena, and then hugged…
Powell’s POV: It was a little slow early, but they more than made up for it with a strong match that had the live crowd fully engaged. I got a big kick out of Okada flashing a shit-eating grin after accidentally hitting Takeshita with the Rainmaker. As much as I enjoyed this match, the near fall numbness that I mentioned earlier has kicked in for me.
Toni Storm was sitting on the floor staring into space when Renee Paquette asked her where she goes from here. Mina Shirakawa showed up. Storm said they lost everything. A sad Shirakawa said they have each other. They both stood up and hugged…
The AEW World Championship match was showcased in a video package. Samoa Joe made the first entrance, and then Hangman Page’s entrance followed…
8. Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship. Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the championship match. Page was on the apron when Joe charged toward him. Page held the top rope down, causing Joe to tumble to the floor. Page went up top and attempted a moonsault, but Joe moved and then smiled. Page dropped Joe with a shotgun dropkick.
Back inside the ring, Joe caught a charging Page and put him down with a uranage. Page had a bloody mouth. Joe hit Page with a running boot in the corner. Page battled back briefly, but Joe powerslammed him and got a near fall. Page regrouped and eventually overshot a moonsault, yet still covered Joe for a two count. Page threw elbow strikes and set up for a Deadeye, but Joe stuffed it and threw rapid-fire kicks at Page’s head. Joe powerbombed Page and then put him in an STF. Page got a foot on the ropes to break it.
Joe threw rapid-fire kicks at Page again, but Page no-sold them and yelled, “Come on, motherf—er,” which got a rise out of the crowd. Page went for a Buckshot Lariat moments later, but Joe ducked it and then caught him in a Coquina Clutch. Page acted like he was fading, but then he came to life and was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold.
Joe sat Page on the top turnbuckle and then went for a Muscle Buster, but Page slipped away and hit a Deadeye for a close near fall. Page hit two Buckshot Lariats, but Joe stayed on his feet. Page hit him with a third Buckshot Lariat and then got the three count.
Hangman Page defeated Samoa Joe in 19:00 to retain the AEW World Championship.
Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyorhi Shitaba came out to support Joe, who got to his feet and expressed gratitude to the live crowd. Page offered a handshake. Joe shook his hand and hugged him, and then raised Page’s arm. Joe shocked the crowd by blasting Page with a clothesline, and then Hobbs and Shibata put the boots to Page.
Hobbs and Shibata held Page while Joe told him that he’s not worthy of the AEW World Championship. Joe hit Page with the belt. Hobbs sat Page on the top turnbuckle, and then Joe put Page down with a Muscle Buster. The Opps trio left Page lying when they left the ring. Joe flipped off fans as he headed to the back. The trainers checked on Page and then helped him out of the ring and to the back…
Powell’s POV: A very good match. The crowd was hot for the match despite the outcome feeling predictable. The post-match angle was anything but. It looked like things were going to play out predictably with Joe showing respect for Page. Joe’s clothesline seemed to catch everyone off guard. It was also surprising to see Hobbs and Shibata join in on the attack. Will this lead to Joe getting a rematch at Full Gear? On a side note, WrestleTix listed the venue setup as 6,361, with 6,114 tickets distributed as of this morning.
Backstage, Mercedes Mone held the TBS and Interim ROH Women’s TV Title belts. Mone called out Kris Statlander for disrespecting her. Mone said she would take the AEW Women’s Championship at AEW Full Gear on November 22…
Excalibur hyped the following for AEW Dynamite: “The Opps” Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata vs. “The Hurt Syndicate” Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP for the AEW Trios Titles, the brackets will be revealed for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Title tournament, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Bandido for the AEW Unified Championship…
A video package set up the I Quit match. Jon Moxley made his entrance through the crowd. Darby Allin entered via the stage, which had an arch as part of the set. Darby brought a backpack with him, which presumably contained the AEW flag that he planted on Mount Everest (and perhaps more)…
9. Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley (w/Marina Shafir) in an I Quit match. Darby was on his knees in a corner of the ring when the referee called for the opening bell. He stood up and pulled the flag out of the backpack, and placed it in the middle of the ring. Moxley walked over and brushed his boots with it. Allin hit Moxley with a shotgun dropkick that sent him to the floor. Allin followed up with a suicide dive.
Moxley returned to the ring. Allin followed, but Shafir grabbed his foot. Moxley took advantage of the distraction by dropkicking Allin. Moxley had the middle rope in Allin’s mouth when he kicked the rope. Moxley put a chain in Allin’s mouth and pulled it from behind. Moxley released the chain and then put the boots to Allin. Moxley grabbed Darby’s arms and pulled him so that the side of his head hit the ropes. Allin came up with a bloody ear.
Shafir handed Moxley some skewers. Moxley took a skewer and jabbed it underneath one of Allin’s fingernails. Moxley also stomped the same hand. The referee went to ask Allin if he was ready to quit. “F— no,” Allin said. A short time later, Darby hit Moxley with Code Red in the ring. Allin grabbed the flag and wrapped it around Moxley’s throat and then tossed him over the top rope and hung him. Moxley reached up and gouged Allin’s eyes until he let go of the flag. Allin gouged Moxley’s eyes. Allin for a Coffin Drop, but Shafir pulled Moxley out of the way, and Allin crashed on the ring apron.
Moxley whipped Allin with a belt. Allin turned his back to Moxley and invited him to whip him, which Moxley did repeatedly. Allin fought back and went for a springboard move, but Moxley caught him and performed a German suplex that left Allin next to his backpack. Allin pulled lighter fluid out of his backpack and sprayed it in Moxley’s eyes. Allin pulled something else out of his bag while Moxley pleaded with him. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta came out. Allin also sprayed mace (or something) at them. Moxley got a towel and wiped his eyes.
Moxley pulled a taser out of Allin’s bag and tried to use it, but Allin blocked his arm. Shafir entered the ring and hit Allin with a low blow. Moxley tased Allin and then hit him with a Stomp. Moxley got a chair and set it up in the middle of the ring. Moxley hit Allin with a Paradigm Shift onto the chair. Moxley and the referee checked on Allin. Moxley put him in a Bulldog Choke while Pac set up two tables at ringside. Claudio entered the ring and pressed Allin over his head. He teased throwing him onto the tables, but then turned and tossed him so over the ropes on the other side of the ring, causing him to bounce off the broadcast table.
Pac dragged Allin to the other side of the ring and handed him to Moxley on the apron. Moxley hit a Death Rider through the two tables. Moxley jawed at Allin. Meanwhile, Castagnoli and Pac filled a fish tank with water. Shafir entered the ring and dragged Allin to the aquarium. Moxley dunked Allin’s head in the tank and held him there. Schiavone asked if they could get security. Moxley pulled Allin’s head out of the water, but he still declined to quit, so Moxley dunked his head again.
The lights went out. When they turned on, a white-haired Sting was in the ring with a baseball bat. Santa Sting, who also had a white goatee, choked Moxley with his baseball bat. Sting used his bat to send the other Death Riders back to the floor. Sting looked at Moxley and then tossed his bat to Allin. Sting exited the ring while the fans chanted, “Thank you, Sting.” Shafir got in Sting’s face and took a swing at him, but he ducked it and then put her over his shoulder and then walked to the back.
Allin stood in a puddle in the middle of the ring and pointed the bat at Moxley, who smiled. Allin worked over Moxley with the bat and then used it to smash the aquarium. Allin wrapped the flag around the neck of Moxley and gave him a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin followed up with a Coffin Drop. Allin stood up and put Moxley in a Scorpion Death Lock until he gave up.
Darby Allin defeated Jon Moxley in 25:25 in an I Quit match.
After the match, Allin celebrated with the AEW flag and then the show went off the air 4.5 hours after it started (and 5.5 hours after the pre-show started).
Powell’s POV: But, hey, the ticket prices are family friendly, right? The main event was somehow even crazier than I anticipated. It’s not my preferred style. And, yes, hardcore badasses watching from the safety of your couches, I know anyone who doesn’t like the death match style as much as you do is a pussy, so spare me your usual fake tough guy bullshit. Like whatever you like, and let other people do the same. Anyway, it was fun to see Sting again. I’m happy they saved him for a key moment rather than a throwaway television appearance.
Overall, this was a good show that was brought down due to the usual factors of nearfall numbness and the ongoing insanity that is the length of AEW pay-per-views. Jake Barnett and I will team up shortly for our same-night audio review of AEW WrestleDream, which will be available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let us know what you thought of WrestleDream by voting for the best match and grading the overall show below.
So Mercedes has 11 titles now?????!!!!
If you ever meet someone who can list all eleven titles off the top of their head, call that person a virgin and just walk away.
Lol,
I’d probably call them a know it all instead.
This is beyond STUPID and I used to be such a fan of hers actually.
It amazes me that the people who care the most about Mercedes’ belts are triggered WWE fans. Really, who the hell cares?
As someone who orders all AEW PPVs, this was probably the second worst ever and completely skippable. The tag title match was great, but that’s about it. I hated the main event. Not because it was a “hardcore” match, but because it was a 30 minute squash match before Moxley slipped on a banana peel. I’ve consistently ranked AEW PPVs that the A/B range, but this was a C- at best.
I don’t think anyone cares about the belts. 99 percent of people don’t even know what companies those are that she reps.
I read all Dyn/ppv reviews hoping for 1 thing to compel me to watch Aew after not watching for 6+ mos, but nada. Even Evolve lured me in wth Kendal-Kali (and damn glad it did).
It also sounds like Moxley can easily cope with all kinds of attempted murder, but taps in 2 seconds to the Scorpion Death Lock. Can they use an ounce of psychology? I mean, FFS, it’s the main event.
Dogshit show by dogshit company.
I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually watched anything AEW did and, despite the fellating of Tiny Con by the “wrestling media,” these reviews always convince me to not check it out again.
What a fucking pathetic excuse for a pro wrestling company. Where’s the “sports-based” presentation that the coked out trust fund twat promised?
Why post your literally ignorant (you don’t watch) and dated (the sports-based criticism is over 6 years old; Tony never said it was supposed to be Mid-South; he said it was supposed to look like a sports show with the W/L record and grittier production) take on here then?
If you ignore this pathetic soul, he’ll eventually go away and enjoy posting negative comments on another site.
“And, yes, hardcore badasses watching from the safety of your couches, I know anyone who doesn’t like the death match style as much as you do is a pussy, so spare me your usual fake tough guy bullshit.”
As much as I like your commentary on reviews (why I come here most of the time), I think this was a bit unprofessional. Just my opinion.
It was jarring; seemed like a hacker had inserted it at first! lol
He has been doing this more and more. I used to comment on here. Jason and I even joked around a few times and then one time I pointed out a mistake on a preview and he kind of lost it. It was very weird. Idk what’s going on with him lately
I gave you shit about pointing out a mistake in a dated preview. I was joking. I told you I was joking. You’ve held a grudge ever since.
So..it seems WrestleDream is officially a B-tier PPV (2/3 years) and last year’s was an aberration.
Solid action, technically better than Dynamite/Collision, but pretty predictable. Can’t complain, although the price being the same as a bigger PPV is an issue.
I don’t watch AEW often. But I fell over the pre show and I watched it. I thought it was bad. They did nothing to draw in a lapsed viewer to be intrigued by the current product (never mind have interesting in dropping 40 bucks on a PPV).
As I have often noted, AEW fans are passionate (and the production seemed to do a good job of making the crowd sound hot, unlike WWE shows today that seem to take place in a library) but what I observed was pretty sloppy and slow wrestling by a bunch of people I had zero interest in. I went back to college football at 8
Personally I loved it all. The stories were fantastic. Hating on mone is just stupid because omega did this 5 years ago and people were all for it. The main event went to an even high hard-core level that I thought. It you think mox quit from “just a deathlock, you don’t understand the story of the match. We won’t see mox for a while. He MAY get turned on by the death riders Wednesday but I see him taking 6 weeks off since this story has now ended
>>And, yes, hardcore badasses watching from the safety of your couches, I know anyone who doesn’t like the death match style as much as you do is a pussy, so spare me your usual fake tough guy bullshit.<<
Typed by you, who typed it while sitting in the safety of your chair in front of the computer. Although I agree "to each his own", the NEED for people such as yourself (politically correct self-righteous hypocrites) to make SURE they say, "Hey, these death matches aren't my cup of tea" is tiresome.
Even worse are the ones who GO TO SHOWS PUT ON BY COMPANIES WHOSE CLAIM TO FAME IS RIDICULOUSLY VIOLENT MATCHES WITH WEAPONS, GLASS, ECT and then say, "man, that's not my type of match."