By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite “Fright Night” (Episode 317)
October 29, 2025, in Edinburg, Texas, at Bert Ogden Arena
Simulcast live on TBS and HBO Max
[Hour One] Excalibur checked in on commentary while pyro shot off on the stage, which was decked out with Halloween items for the show’s “Fright Night” theme. Bryan Danielson was on color commentary, and ring announcer Justin Roberts delivered the introductions for the opening match…
Powell’s POV: As of an hour ago, WrestleTix listed the venue as being set up for 3,278, with 3,030 tickets distributed. By the way, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett, who is too distraught to cover the show because the Minnesota Twins didn’t hire him to be their new manager. Apparently, Jake didn’t have enough losing experience for the cheap-ass Pohlad family. Jake will be back to cover the Halloween night edition of WWE Smackdown.
1. Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta in a Trick or Treat tornado tag match. Darby sat Yuta on a chair at ringside and then hit him with a suicide dive. A short time later, Darby dove off a balcony and hit the heels with a Coffin Drop on the floor. Back at ringside, Allin ran across the barricade and dropkicked Garcia. Cassidy and Yuta fought in the crowd as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Garcia placed Cassidy on a table at ringside. Yuta dove from the top rope and splashed Cassidy through the table. In the ring, Allin kicked his skateboard toward Garcia and told him to hit him with it. When Yuta bent over to get the skateboard, Allin hit him with a Code Red for a near fall.
Allin came back and hit Yuta with a top rope Coffin Drop. Garcia may have been late to break up the pin, as Yuta kicked out before he got there. Garcia caught Cassidy in a submission hold while standing on the apron. Cassidy broke the hold with an Orange Punch. Cassidy hit Yuta with Sole Food and then hit a suicide dive on Garcia that put him through a table on the floor. Alin put Yuta in a Scorpion Death Lock and forced him to tap out.
Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy beat Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta in 13:30 in a Trick or Treat tornado tag match.
After the match, Cassidy tossed some candy to the crowd…
Powell’s POV: Fun size candy? Really, Cassidy? Apparently, you have something in common with the Twins owners. Anyway, this was a crowd-pleasing opener with good work from all four wrestlers. I like that they are going with Excalibur and Danielson on commentary rather than adding a third man. This will give Excalibur and Danielson a chance to develop chemistry together while Taz is recovery from total shoulder replacement surgery, although I’m sure they’ll have Don Callis and perhaps others sit in on commentary at times.
Hook was shown arriving in the backstage area. He said he’s the underdog in the four-way match with Bobby Lashley, Ricochet, and Samoa Joe. He said he would have his hands full, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Hook spoke of trying to earn a shot at the AEW World Championship. Hook took off his shades and looked into the camera while telling Joe that he would do what he could to keep Joe out of the AEW Championship match. Hook said Joe showed the world who he really is, which is something Hook already knew…
Excalibur hyped the four-way tag team match for after the break… [C]
Backstage, Renee Paquette spoke with Don Callis about the Don Callis Family summit. Callis spotted the Young Bucks and called them into the picture. Callis told Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson that it’s criminal what the company is doing to them. Callis recalled the Bucks saying they would never join his Family. Callis said that was before and asked them to think about it. Callis told the Bucks to check out the video he had made for their entrance…
The Young Bucks made their entrance, which was their old entrance video, along with Callis giving them a big introduction. Pyro shot off on the stage. The remainder of the entrances took place…
2. “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. “Jurassic Express” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus vs. “JetSpeed” Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey in a four-way for a shot at the AEW Tag Team Titles at AEW Full Gear. Stokely Hathaway came out with FTR and then sat in on commentary for the match. Perry and Bailey started the match with a handshake.
A few minutes into the match, Bailey hit a flip dive onto the other teams. Knight went up top, but Harwood cut him off and then superplexed him onto the wrestlers on the floor. Hathaway stood up and celebrated the move going into another PIP break. [C]
The Bucks took out multiple wrestlers with double superkicks and then hit a Shatter Machine on Wheeler. The Bucks hit Knight with a BTE Trigger, but it only led to a near fall. Knight hit a top rope splash on Nick. FTR hit Knight with a Shatter Machine and then Harwood pinned him…
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated “JetSpeed” Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey, “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson, and “Jurassic Express” Jack Perry and Luchasaurus in a four-way in 13:45 to earn a shot at the AEW Tag Team Titles at AEW Full Gear.
A graphic listed “Brodido” Brody King and Bandido vs. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler for the AEW Tag Team Titles at Full Gear…
Powell’s POV: The nonstop action one would expect from these teams in a four-way match. Brodido vs. FTR should be fun. The two teams went to a 30-minute draw when they last met in a traditional tag team match back in August.
A video package aired on Hangman Page and Samoa Joe, and then Excalibur hyped the four-way main event. Exalibur said the Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly rematch was up next… [C]
Don Callis hosted the “Don Callis Family” summit. AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada, Hechicero, Josh Alexander, Mark Davis, and Lance Archer sat at one table in the ring, while TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher, Rocky Romero, and El Clon sat at another table. Konosuke Takeshita was not present. Romero claimed that Takeshita was unable to appear due to travel issues.
Romero unveiled a painting that he called “La Familia” with a shirtless and jacked Callis, who had a “Familia” tattoo on his abdomen, standing in front of the rest of his family, who were also shirtless in the painting. Alexander set up a video package on the family. Fletcher read through an oath that he said the members all took, but he was interrupted by entrance music.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita made his entrance. Once Takeshita was in the ring, Callis tried to calm him down. Okada stood up. Callis stood between Takeshita and Okada. Callis asked how the family succeeds. He said they do so by listening to what he wants. Callis told Takeshita that he wanted him to shake Okada’s hand. The fans started saying “no.” Callis told Takeshita not to listen to the morons.
Callis told Takeshita that this was about his honor, and then asked him to shake Okada’s hand for him. Takeshita offered his hand. Okada teased a handshake, but then he flipped off Takeshita instead. The other family members stood up and kept Takeshita and Okada apart. Callis announced that he was going to have Takeshita and Okada team up on Saturday’s AEW Collision to show that they can work as a family…
Powell’s POV: The Callis paintings are always good for a laugh. I liked the way they established that Takeshita was willing to play ball, but Okada arrogantly big-timed him.
Excalibur set up a video package on Olympia, who will challenge Mercedes Mone for the CMLL Women’s Championship on Collision…
Renee Paquette interviewed AEW Women’s Champion Kris Statlander on the backstage interview set. Statlander addressed Mercedes Mone, saying she would be at Collision on Saturday “to support you.” Statlander said that if Mone had anything to say to her tonight, she’d be the one holding the title belt that Mone doesn’t have…
[Hour Two] Kyle O’Reilly made his entrance, and then Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir entered through the crowd…
3. Jon Moxley (w/Marina Shafir) vs. Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly went for a takedown to start. Danielson said O’Reilly wants to take the match to the ground and do it fast. Moxley caught O’Reilly going for a knee strike, and then dumped him over the top rope to the floor before a PIP break. [C]
O’Reilly caught Moxley in an ankle lock, which the broadcast team noted was the move that Moxley was in when he got himself disqualified the last time they met. Moxley escaped the hold. Moxley came up bleeding from the bridge of his nose at one point. O’Reilly reapplied the ankle lock. Moxley reached the ropes to break the hold.
Moxley rolled to the floor. O’Reilly dove over the top rope onto Moxley and then put him in a submission hold on the floor. Moxley escaped the hold, but O’Reilly used a dragon screw leg whip to seat Moxley on a chair. O’Reilly went for a move off the apron, but Shafir blocked his path. O’Reilly put Moxley in a guillotine. The referee counted both men out to end the match. Fans booed.
Jon Moxley fought Kyle O’Reilly to count-out in 12:00.
After the match, O’Reilly returned to the ring and pleaded with referee Aubrey Edwards. Shafir entered the ring and dropped Edwards with an elbow strike. Claudio Castagnoli ran in and put O’Reilly down with an uppercut.
Moxley entered the ring and motioned for Shafir to get him a chair. Moxley and Castagnoli put the boots to O’Reilly. Roderick Strong ran out for the save and got the better of Moxley and Castagnoli, but Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia ran out to help their fellow Death Riders. Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, and Mark Briscoe ran out, causing the Death Riders to scurry to ringside.
Darby got a mic and spoke briefly before handing it Briscoe, who said he and his crew came up with the perfect solution to their issue. Briscoe said he would let Cassidy say what they had planned. Cassidy didn’t want to, but Briscoe asked him again and then gave him the mic. Cassidy sighed and said, “Blood & Guts.” Moxley responded with a look of shock at ringside…
Powell’s POV: First off, Aubrey Edwards brought that shit on herself. Anyway, the match was enjoyable, and I appreciate the effort to make the ankle lock mean something. It’s become a Kurt Angle tribute hold that everyone rolls out of. They got a little too cute for my taste by having Cassidy deliver the Blood & Guts line, and Moxley’s shocked reaction was an eye-roller because it was so obvious where this was going.
Coming out of the break, Mercedes Mone and Kris Statlander fought in the backstage area while three people in Halloween costumes watched (they’ve been shown in the background a few times tonight). Mone and Statlander fought into the arena, where Statlander tossed Mone onto the apron.
Athena came out and pulled Statlander off the apron. Athena rolled Statlander inside the ring. Mone hit a Backstabber on Statlander, and then Athena followed up with an O-Face. Mone put Statlander in a Statement Maker until Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron ran out for the save, causing Mone and Athena to exit the ring…
Excalibur announced that Tony Khan just told him that Mone and Athena would face Willow and Cameron on next week’s Dynamite in an AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles tournament first-round match.
The broadcast team spoke as highlights aired of Mascara Dorada shining during a three-way match with Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita at AEW All Out…
A video aired with Bandido meeting his grandmother in San Antonio. Bandido said he drove 12 hours with his grandmother, and it would be her first time watching him wrestle. His grandmother spoke in Spanish and said that everyone tells her that Bandido is the best wrestler. Highlights aired of Bandido facing Okada while Bandido’s grandmother watched from the crowd…
Entrances for the women’s tag team tournament match took place…
4. Jamie Hayter and Queen Aminata vs. Julia Hart and Skye Blue in an AEW Women’s Tag Team Title tournament first-round match. Excalibur said Penelope Ford was injured and would not be able to wrestle in the tournament or in the women’s Blood & Guts match. Hayter was isolated by the heels before an early PIP break. [C]
Aminata had a run of offense on Blue that ended with a two count before Aminata tagged out. Hayter hit Blue with a missile dropkick. Aminata followed with a neckbreaker. Hayter hit Blue with a lariat and went for the pin, but Hart broke it up. All four wrestlers fought. Hayter and Aminata performed (almost) simultaneous German suplexes, ate kicks, and then hit simultaneous lariats, which left all four wrestlers down.
Aminata caught Blue in a unique submission hold, but Hart ran in and broke it up. Hayter fought Hart to ringside. Thekla rolled out from underneath the ring and hit a move on Hayter, but the production team missed the live shot. In the ring, Blue hit an assisted uranage slam on Aminanta and then pinned her.
Julia Hart and Skye Blue defeated Jamie Hayter and Queen Aminata to advance to the semifinals of the AEW Women’s Tag Team Title tournament.
The brackets showed that Hart and Blue will face the winners of next week’s Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron vs. Mercedes Mone and Athena match in the second round…
Powell’s POV: I didn’t expect Hayter and Aminata to win the tournament, but I thought they would win this match before bowing out to Mone and Athena. But I like the idea of starting the tournament with an upset, and now it has me questioning whether Mone and Athena will advance to the second round.
Tony Schiavone stood on the backstage interview set wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask and interviewed Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford, who had her arm in a sling. Schiavone noted that the injury occurred when Ford performed a moonsault to the floor. Ford said she tore her UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) and would be out indefinitely. Bayne said anyone woman who wanted to make history and build an empire should step forward. Bayne said she would decide who is worthy to stand beside a god.
Marina Shafir entered the picture and went face-to-face with Bayne while saying, “Don’t worry, I’m listening.” Jon Moxley entered the area and said, “Look out” regarding a Bayne and Shafir team. Bayne and Shafir touched fists…
Powell’s POV: The tournament just became even more interesting with the formation of that badass team.
Excalibur hyped the four-way main event… [C] Entrances for the main event took place. Samoa Joe came out first. Ricochet was accompanied onto the stage by Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun, but he went to the ring alone. Hook came out next to his weird entrance theme. Bobby Lashley came out alone and headed to the ring…
5. Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Ricochet vs. Hook in a four-way for a shot at the AEW World Championship at AEW Full Gear. Joe and Hook traded strikes. Joe ran the ropes, but Lashley tripped him and pulled him to ringside. Lashley ran Joe into the barricade and the ring steps.
Ricochet was a punching bag for Lashley and Hook. Lashley and Hook went at it. Lashley performed a uranage on the apron. Ricochet hit Lashley with a suicide dive. Joe returned and hit Lashley and Ricochet with a suicide dive of his own. The fans chanted “Joe” heading into a PIP break. [C]
Joe got the better of Hook. Joe and Lashley ended up in the ring together. Lashley put Joe down with a spinebuster. Ricochet went for a top rope crossbody block, but Lashley caught him and hit him with a Dominator. Lashley had Ricochet beat, but Hook broke up the pin.
Joe and Hook ended up alone in the ring. Joe headbutted Hook, who came right back with a nice suplex. Hook played to the crowd and was hit by a Ricochet dive from the top rope. Ricochet hit Lashley and Joe with dives to the floor. Ricochet went up top and hit a shooting star press on Hook, which led to a near fall.
Hook came back and caught Ricochet in Redrum. Joe broke it up with a senton. Joe set up Hook for a Muscle Buster and then held him there for what felt like an eternity while Lashley ran the ropes and speared Joe.
[Overrun] Graphics were shown for the following Collision matches: Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada for the ROH Championship, Max Caster and Anthony Bowens vs. Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita, Mercedes Mone vs. Olympia for the CMLL Women’s Championship.
Ricochet set up Hook for a move, but countered into a pin for a near fall. Hook clotheslined Ricochet to the floor. Lashley charged Hook, who ducked, causing Lashley to tumble to the floor. Ricochet hit Lashley with a chair from behind while Lashley was on the apron. Lashley no-sold it and went after Ricochet. Joe put Hook in the Coquina Clutch and got the submission win before Lashley could return to the ring.
Samoa Joe defeated Hook, Bobby Lashley, and Ricochet in 11:55 in a four-way to earn a shot at the AEW World Championship at AEW Full Gear.
After the match, Lashley picked up the chair and chased Ricochet to the back. A graphic listed Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship for Full Gear while Joe strutted in the ring. Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata came out to celebrate with Joe.
Tony Schiavone entered the ring, still wearing his Phantom of the Opera mask. Schiavone called for the Halloween Havoc crew to come out with the contract. Six people dressed in Halloween costumes (some were shown in backstage background shots earlier).
Joe told Schiavone that he wanted to make sure it was the safest environment possible when he signed the contract. Joe told Hobbs and Shibata to make sure he was safe. Hobbs and Shibata roughed up the costumed men. They held the man dressed in a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costume, as Hangman Page once wore that costume for an angle back in 2021. Joe unmasked him, but it wasn’t Page. Joe signed the contract. Joe said Page apparently wasn’t so creative this time.
Schiavone stood on the floor and said the AEW World Championship match was official. Schiavone said celebrations were in order, and then called for a toast. Joe, Hobbs, and Shibata grabbed beers. Schiavone entered the ring and touted the match, then mentioned Page and “cowboy shit.”
“Long may he reign,” Schiavone said in a different voice. Hangman Page unmasked as the Schiavone inside took out Hobbs and Shibata with kicks below the belt. Page slammed a bottle over Joe’s head. Page hit Joe with a Buckshot Lariat. Page mounted Joe and threw punches until he was pulled off by referees and security guards.
Powell’s POV: The outcome of the match was no surprise, and they lost me when Joe held up Hook and had to hold him while Lashley ran the ropes. I enjoyed the post-match angle, but I was also looking back and forth between my laptop and my television, so I’ll have to give it a second watch to see how well they pulled off the Schiavone and Page switch. For those unaware, Schiavone wore a Phantom of the Opera mask at the Halloween Havoc event in 1990.
Overall, a good episode with high stakes in a few matches, and some interesting storyline and Full Gear developments. I will be back shortly with our weekly same-night audio review of Dynamite for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
Why is Darby still feuding with DR after he beat Moxley and held up the Aew Flag to end a pay per view? I still havent watched, so I may have missed something.
Obviously an underwhelming hire by the Twins, but Shelton always struck me as being competent in spite of no $ in Pittsburgh. As long as LAD loses 1 more game, we’ll all be happy.