By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 278)
January 29, 2025 in Huntsville, Alabama at VBC Probst Arena
Simulcast live on TBS and Max
[Hour One] Will Ospreay made his entrance while Excalibur checked in on commentary with Taz and Tony Schiavone. Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced Ospreay, as well as his opponent Brian Cage, whose entrance followed. Don Callis and Lance Archer came out with Cage…
1. Will Ospreay vs. Brian Cage (w/Lance Archer). Don Callis sat in on commentary. Callis stood up at the desk and told Ospreay to take a look at the big screen, which showed Kenny Omega laid out backstage. Cage attacked Ospreay from behind.
A short time later, Cage distracted the referee while Callis stood up and threw punches at Ospreay at ringside. Ospreay battled back for a stretch, but Cage regained control and performed a deadlift German suplex.
Ospreay rallied with a couple of hook kicks and went for an OsCutter that Cage stuffed. Cage hit a discus lariat and a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Cage set up for another powerbomb, but Ospreay countered into a huracanrana that sent Cage crashing into Archer, who fell off the apron. Ospreay hit a Styles Clash and got the three count.
Will Ospreay defeated Brian Cage in 12:50.
After the match, Lance Archer ran in and attacked Ospreay. Cage recovered and joined Archer in the attack.
Kenny Omega’s entrance theme played and he ran out with a chair. Omega worked over Archer with a chair and then threw it Cage’s head (ugh). Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher ran out and attacked Osprey and Omega from behind. Takeshita and Fletcher performed piledrivers on Ospreay and Omega. Callis joined his crew in the ring and got in a few kicks on Omega…
Powell’s POV: An AEW special in that it was a good match that went a few minutes longer than it needed to given the highly predictable outcome. The post match attack put heat on Takeshita and Fletcher heading into their match against Ospreay and Omega at AEW Grand Slam Australia. By the way, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett tonight. I can’t say for sure, but I think Jake may have taken the night off to prepare for being a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match.
Renee Paquette stood in front of Swerve Strickland’s dressing room. Hangman Page walked past and her and opened the door, but Swerve wasn’t inside. Page exited and encountered MJF. Page glared at MJF for a moment and then walked away.
MJF delivered a promo and said Jeff Jarrett would have to face one of the most dangerous men the company had to offer by himself. MJF said it didn’t have to be that way, but Jarrett declined to make a deal with him. MJF said he had a new offer for Jarrett that he couldn’t decline. “The Last Outlaw’s Last Ride,” MJF said while taking delight in his creativity… [C]
Powerhouse Hobbs delivered a promo from home and said he wasn’t medically cleared to go to Dynamite. Hobbs recalled telling Big Bill they were going to hell before their big stage spot on AEW Collision. Hobbs said once he’s cleared, he’ll show Bill that hell is just the beginning…
Claudio Castagnoli made his entrance through the crowd. Jeff Jarrett made a standard entrance and brought a guitar to the ring…
2. Jeff Jarrett vs. Claudio Castagnoli. Jarrett will get an AEW World Championship match if he is victorious. Jarrett caught Castagnoli in a Figure Four a couple minutes into the match, but Castagnoli reached the ropes to break the hold. Castagnoli rolled to ringside and limped to sell the leg lock.
Wheeler Yuta walked through the crowd and was about to climb over the barricade when referee Bryce Remsburg confronted him heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] Yuta was at ringside and Castagnoli was in offensive control coming out of the break.
Jarrett hit a Russian Leg Sweep. Taz pointed out that Jarrett didn’t get his leg in, but he covered for it by saying that it’s possible to a whip an opponent’s head back. Castagnoli came back and applied a Sharpshooter that Jarrett powered out of and then hooked Castagnoli in a Sharpshooter of his own.
Yuta slid a chair inside the ring. Jarrett punched Yuta. The referee barked at Yuta and had his back turned (shocking) while Jarrett avoided a chair shot. Jarrett got the better of Castagnoli until Jon Moxley entered the ring and put him down with a Paradigm Shift. Moxley fled to ringside where Marina Shafiir was waiting. Castagnoli performed a pair of Neutralizers and scored the pin.
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jeff Jarrett in 10:05.
MJF made his entrance and joined Jarrett inside the ring after the Death Riders left. “You know, Jeff, I just wanted to come out here…” MJF said before blasting Jarrett with a Dynamite Diamond Ring punch. MJF knelt down next to Jarrett and said he respects his elders and that’s why he wasn’t going to say he told him so…
Powell’s POV: A lousy finish with the referee looking like a doofus for focusing so heavily on Yuta. Apparently, Bryce Remsburg has no peripheral vision or he would have easily spotted Moxley leaving the ring after he interfered. Why would Moxley’s character go out of his way to avoid facing Jarrett? He issued the challenge for the four-way match against three top challengers at the Worlds End pay-per-view, but he interfered in this match to avoid being challenged by a 57 year-old legend?
Backstage, Renee Paquette told Ricochet that Tony Khan told her that Swerve Strickland would have to forfeit his match with Ricochet if he interferes in Ricochet’s match with AR Fox. Ricochet was pleased and said Swerve was out of his business.
Paquette said Ricochet had a lot to get off his chest and asked what was on his mind. He pointed out that he was in his ring gear and said they would do it “in a formal setting” on Saturday’s AEW Collision. Ricochet claimed AEW management was bullying him by putting him in a match with Fox a week before one of the biggest matches of his career…
3. Ricochet vs. AR Fox. Bothe entrances were televised. The fight spilled over to ringside where Fox hit Ricochet with a boot to the face. Fox chopped Ricochet and then both men returned to the apron. Fox went for a Death Valley Driver, but Ricochet slipped out of it and then hip-tossed Ricochet onto the apron. Ricochet teased a dive and then taunted the crowd going into a PIP break. [C]
Ricochet seemed to tease a People’s Elbow before turning around and performing a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ricochet blocked a kick and performed a suplex that led to a near fall. Fox followed up moments later with a 450 splash for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
[Hour Two] Fox hoisted up Ricochet for a move, but Ricochet grabbed the referee’s shirt to escape. Ricochet hit the Recoil for a two count. Ricochet followed up with the Vertigo finisher and got the three count.
Ricochet defeated AR Fox in 11:00.
After the match, Excalibur noted that Swerve vs. Ricochet was official for next week because Swerve didn’t interfere. Ricochet pulled his golden scissors out of the turnbuckle pad.
Swerve Strickland showed up at ringside and pulled Ricochet out of the ring and worked him over while Prince Nana looked on. Ricochet set up for a Swerve Stomp, but Ricochet held his scissors at Fox’s throat and held it there while he rolled out of the ring to safety…
Powell’s POV: Another AEW special, but it was a solid showcase for Ricochet. The post match angle was nicely done with Ricochet taking the chickenshit way out, which should leave fans anxious to see Swerve get him in the ring next week.
Footage aired of Renee Paquette’s online interview with Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli in what appeared to be a basement gym while Wheeler Yuta was seated in the background.
Paquette asked Moxley about holding the AEW World Championship hostage. Moxley asked why people need to see it and if they want a picture of it. Moxley said he is the living definition of the AEW World Championship. Moxley said he is trying to build 1,000 versions of himself and he will put them through what he wen through and worse…
Matt Menard hosted an AEW merch ad… [C] Excalibur hyped the movie “Dark Match” that stars Chris Jericho for a January 31 release on Shudder. A trailer for the horror movie aired…
Chris Jericho hosted a New York Minute segment in an echoey room and was accompanied by Big Bill and Bryan Keith. Jericho mentioned his movie. Bill said he put Jericho’s words to action and now he feels stronger. Jericho said it makes him proud of himself to be such a great mentor. Jericho added that Bill didn’t take out Powerhouse Hobbs permanently, so he’d need to work harder.
Jericho said he and Bryan Keith will face “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum on Collision. Jericho said the Outrunners claim they’ve been around for decades, but he’s never seen them on television besides AEW. “Mandela Effect,” Keith yelled. Jericho told Bill he expects him to make him proud for real this time. Jericho flashed a cheesy grin and then sneered…
Powell’s POV: Jericho has never seen The Outrunners anywhere other than on AEW television? It’s official, the ROH Champion doesn’t watch ROH on HonorClub either.
Jay White made a standard entrance via the stage and Wheeler Yuta entered through the crowd…
4. Jay White vs. Wheeler Yuta. Before the match, Yuta tried to attack White, who countered into Bladerunner position. Yuta escaped and fled to ringside. White dominated until Yuta caught him with a basement dropkick to the knee at ringside. Yuta ran White into the apron and the ring steps.
Yuta targeted White’s knee by slamming against the ring steps. Back in the ring, Yuta performed a fisherman’s suplex. Excalibur set up a commercial break, but they stuck with the match for about another minute before going to a PIP break. Weird. [C]
White superplexed Yuta and covered him for a near fall. Yuta came back with a chop block and then applied a single leg crab. White struggled and then reached the ropes to break the hold. Yuta didn’t release the hold right away. “I have till five,” Yuta barked at the referee in a Bryan Danielson callback. A short time later, Yuta set up for a Busaiku Knee, but White caught him, hit the Bladerunner, and scored the pin.
Jay White defeated Wheeler Yuta in 14:00.
After the match, White picked up Yuta and gave him another Bladerunner while Excalibur said he hasn’t forgotten how Yuta tormented him over the last month or so. The fans called for one more. White was going to oblige.
Jon Moxley showed up and hopped on the apron. White jawed at Moxley while holding Yuta in position for his finisher. Claudio Castagnoli came out and hit White from behind. Moxley and Castagnoli put the boots to White while Marina Shafir watched from ringside.
Adam Copeland’s entrance theme played and he came to the ring with “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. After running off the Death Riders, Copeland shook White’s hand. Harwood got the mic and said it’s a little different when it’s an even fight.
Harwood said he doesn’t hate how the Death Riders operate, but he does hate that they tried to end 67 year-old Ricky Morton. Harwood said Morton is his idol. Harwood said Dennis Condrey of the Midnight Express was in the crowd. In Condrey’s name, Harwood called for FTR vs. The Death Riders in a Mid-South Street Fight for Collision…
Powell’s POV: If they want to position White as a top contender for the AEW World Championship, then he shouldn’t struggle to beat the Death Riders’ young boy. Seriously, why are so many matches needlessly competitive matches in this company? On the bright side, it seems like the Cope experiment is over given that Excalibur kept referring to him as Adam Copeland.
A video package recapped the excellent Toni Storm and Mariah May angle from AEW Collision…
Renee Paquette stood on the stage and introduced AEW Women’s Champion Mariah May for an interview. May said it while it was great to be in Huntsville, after looking around she thinks they should change the first letter to a C.
May got upset with Paquette and barked that the return of Timeless Toni Storm is not real. Paquette left. The fans changed “Toni.” May looked into the camera and addressed Storm. May said if she wants to play the role of Toni Storm, she should play the Storm who gave her heart to a woman who used her for her gold.
May then suggested that Storm should play the version of Storm whose most memorable moment was bleeding and crying in her hands. May said Storm could play the Storm who walked out of Wembley Stadium, Japan, and Mexico because she couldn’t touch her.
May said that Storm could play any version of herself that she wants, but the ending will stay the same. May said you don’t role play when you’re as good as she is because you don’t change a thing. May said she’s the woman from hell and always will be. She told the crowd to look now and never forget that she is their AEW Women’s World Champion…
A “Gunn Club” video package aired on Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn. They were shown watching their own footage on their phones, working out in a gym, driving a car, and running the ropes…
Excalibur announced the following matches for Saturday’s AEW Collision: Samoa Joe and Hook vs. Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian, Chris Jericho and Bryan Keith vs. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum, Toni Storm speaks, Daniel Garcia vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Lee Moriarty in a three-way for the TNT Championship…
Excalibur hyped the TBS Title match as the show’s main event…
Powell’s POV: They’ve done such a poor job of hyping the the TBS Title match tonight that I was just wondering what the main event of the show was.
A Hurt Syndicate video promo aired with MVP and AEW Tag Team Champions Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. MVP acknowledged former champions Private Party and then spoke about how they would accept any challenge… [C]
Excalibur recapped highlights from the opening match and the post match angle. He also recapped Claudio Castagnoli beating Jeff Jarrett when Jon Moxley interfered, and then footage of MJF’s post match cheap shot and promo aired…
Backstage, “The Vendetta” Deonna Purrazzo and Taya Valkyrie delivered a promo. Purrazzo said she would be challenging Mercedes Mone tonight if it wasn’t for Harley Cameron. Purrazzo said they need to take what they deserve. Valkyrie said they are coming to collect on Collision…
Entrances for the main event took place…
5. Mercedes Mone vs. Yuka Sakazaki for the TBS Championship. Justin Roberts delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Excalibur credited Tony Khan with making Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta vs. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler in a Mid-South Street Fight official for Collision.
Sakazaki stood on the floor and avoided Money’s sliding kick attempt. Sakazaki spun Mone around and made a silly face at her for a laugh. Sakazaki hit Mone with an enzuigiri and then went up top. Mone moved, causing Sakazaki to drop down. Mone tripped her on the apron, causing Sakazaki to fall to the floor. Mone hit a Meteora before a PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] Sakazaki superplexed Mone and covered her for a two count. Sakazaki picked up another near fall, but Mone came back and hit the Backstabber. Mone locked her in the Statement Maker. Sakazaki rolled out of it, hit a rolling elbow strike, and rolled Mone into a pin for a near fall.
Sakazaki caught Mone on the middle rope and hit a German suplex from there. Sakazaki went for the Magical Girl springboard splash, but Mone put her knees up. Mone powerbombed Sakazaki and then hit her the Moneymaker and scored the pin…
Mercedes Mone defeated Yuka Sakazaki in 13:40 to retain the TBS Championship.
Powell’s POV: Sakazaki is a talented wrestler with a fun personality. With the right build, this match probably would have worked as a television main event. But the match was just thrown together by having Sakazaki win a four-way to become No. 1 contender on Collision, which was her first AEW appearance since September. Regardless of match quality, only the sickos would view this match as Dynamite main event worthy.
Overall, this was a disappointing show, especially given that Saturday’s show was one of my favorite episodes of Collision to date. I will have a lot more to say about this episode of Dynamite during our weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
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Backstage attack, match that went too long, post match runout involving an unprotected chair to the head, and a post match attack.
All in the 1st match of the night.
What a complete fucking joke of a company. A literal pile of dog shit could book better than Tony Khan.
The sickos can barely pretend to disageee with this, anymore.
Why do you watch if the venom runs so deep? If you dont then why spend your time reading about “dog shit” – do you have any hobbies?
Easy, because he is expecting better from AEW each week and you get that shit. I don’t watch it but I get it. Now that companies on tv dualing. Hope for the better but it isn’t.
I only catch it live every month or so. This week was because I’m stuck in the house with covid, and honestly the illness was less painful than the show.
Yeah, I hardly catch it live and just watch recorded or YouTube. Gotta say, nothing about AEW is interesting right now. Death Rider shit is confusing and not good tv. 90 percent of matches are obvious winners. Just badly booked tv.
The first 3 matches all had post match attacks.
Fuck Tony Khan with a rusty spoon.
I’m here tonight. The crowd is okay. Nothing super.
Seriously, the loudest pop in the Moné match came when one of the women behind us yelled USE YOUR POTIONS at Yuka.
I can’t say for sure, but I think Jake may have taken the night off to prepare for being a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match.
LOL- The ultimate red herring….if he were to win would he choose Gunther or Cody?
I also had no idea what the main event was until right before, kinda wish I had never found out!
The crowd looked like they found 1000 random ppl from the Huntsville Airport and forced them to attend the show. I hear a few of them begged to be waterboarded instead.
Why does every feud have to be a fucking blood feud? Balance it, there are other ways to do programs other than “I hate you, you will bleed, you will die, this is warrrr.”
I know it’s an epically high bar, but this could end up being the worst ep of Dynamite of 2025. The crowd seemed to agree wholeheartedly.
I hadn’t watched Dynamite in several months, so I turned it on during the Bulls/Celtics halftime. Jarrett and Claudio was terrible, MJF coming out was terrible, and I stopped watching.
I decided to turn on Patrick Dempsey’s Can’t Buy Me Love instead.
AEW used to be really good, but Tony can’t give control to people who would make this product better.