By Jake Barnett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@jakebarnett)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 355)
Nashville, Tennessee, at The Pinnacle
Simulcast live July 22, 2026, on TBS and HBO Max
Excalibur welcomed the audience to the show flanked by Taz and Tony Schiavone. He ran down some highlights from the Redemption card, and announced the main event as Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, and Will Ospreay vs. The Don Callis Family. Ospreay and Omega appeared together backstage and Ospreay said they were undefeated when teaming together. They teased each other about reaching out during the match when they get tired. Moxley walked up and mockingly said there was no tension in the room, and then walked away. Omega said there wasn’t until he walked up.
In the arena, Darby Allin made his ring entrance for the opening match while video aired picture in picture of Brian Cage attempting to murder him last week. Renee Paquette appeared at ringside and gave some commentary about Darby being put into the hospital the last time he was in this arena. Kevin Knight then made his ring entrance. Knight paced around the ring, and Darby attacked him with a dive as he walked in front of the commentary table.
The action spilled into the crowd and then back into the ringside area. Darby set up Knight on the barricade near the timekeeper’s area, and then delivered a flying clothesline. Then the match started.
1. Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight for the AEW TNT Championship: Knight gouged Darby’s eyes on the stage and then shoved him off. Darby landed nuts first on the guardrail, and then Knight delivered a springboard elbow that knocked him to the floor. Knight moved the ring steps and then delivered an uppercut to Allin. He then catapulted Darby face first into the bottom of the ring steps.
Back in the ring, Allin set up Darby on the top rope, which quickly became an avalanche Code Red. Darby followed up with a second one for a close near fall. Darby bled a bit from above his right eye. Darby wrenched on Knights arm by wrapping it in the turnbuckle hardware and then sent him to the floor…[c]
Knight landed a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count. There was a ref bump as the referee’s head hit the ropes. Knight went to ringside to grab the TNT Championship belt, but Darby ducked and delivered a Scorpion Death Drop. Darby teased using the Championship belt but dropped it. Knight used the belt himself to knock Darby crotch first onto the turnbuckle in the corner. He then hung him in a tree of woe and went coast to coast with a dropkick. Afterward, he landed a UFO Splash and got the win.
Kevin Knight defeated Darby Allin at 11:29
After the match, Knight celebrated his victory for a bit, but was quickly interrupted by Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada. Knight appeared annoyed by this. Protokada will face Brodido after the break…[c]
My Take: A solid opening match that had the only finish that made sense. At least we didn’t see Allin blow himself up with some ACME Rocket in the process.
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