Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland showed one area where AEW can top its competition, Hangman Page potentially repeating a mistake made with Cody Rhodes

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

AEW Dynamite Hits

Swerve Strickland vs. Kenny Omega: It was great that AEW followed up the loaded Grand Slam Australia show with a pay-per-view caliber main event on Dynamite. Better yet, the match had a finish that would not have disappointed had it taken place on a pay-per-view. There are too many times when a loaded television main event is advertised that we can immediately assume the finish will be unsatisfying. It would be foolish of AEW to give away major matches like this on television routinely. But the key to standing out from the competition is to establish that when AEW does have a major television main event, fans can count on a satisfying finish far more often than not. I have mixed feelings about Swerve’s heelish attack on Omega that followed the match. There’s a need for main event-level heels in AEW, and he plays the role well. I just hope the company is mindful of not turning him back and forth too many times. I’m also surprised the company didn’t get more out of Swerve and Hangman Page working together, though it should be interesting to see how Page responds to Swerve’s antics.

Willow Nightingale vs. Megan Bayne vs. Marina Shafir vs. Mina Shirakawa in a four-way for the TBS Title: A good four-way with a clean finish. The champion retaining didn’t feel like a lock. In fact, my guard was up for the possibility of Willow losing the title without being pinned. Shirakawa was the right person to take the loss, as Bayne and Shafir are strong heels who should be protected.

AEW World Champion MJF and Adam Page meet face-to-face: We’ve seen enough of this matchup that they needed to give the latest MJF vs. Page match some juice by adding a stipulation of some kind. Even so, I cringe at the thought of Page potentially being in the same spot that Cody Rhodes was by never being allowed to challenge for the AEW World Championship again if he loses at Revolution.

AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley vs. Mark Davis in an eliminator match: A quality opening match. There was no reason to think Davis would win, so the match went longer than necessary. The cut on Davis’s hand added to the grittiness of the match and helped make up for the embarrassingly light forearm shots that Davis threw at Moxley in the corner of the ring at one point.

Kevin Knight vs. The Beast Mortos: Good work from both wrestlers. It felt random without any mic work or backstory, but the live crowd was still invested. Winning quality matches is a start for Knight, but it won’t be enough for him to reach his full potential. Knight has to connect with the audience through his mic work. He takes part in some brief promos and playful backstage segments with Mike Bailey, but I don’t feel like we’ve learned much about who the Knight character is or what makes him tick.

“The Brawling Birds” Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor vs. B3cca and Viva Van: A soft Hit. No musical performance from B3cca?!? I’ll bet her live performance fee is so massive that not even Tony Khan could afford it. Anyway, this was a solid television debut for the Birds. The Hayterade version of the Hart Attack clothesline was a nice way to close out their first television match.

Kerwin Silfies tribute: A classy moment that gave Tony Schiavone and Bryan Danielson a chance to pay their respects to a beloved former co-worker. It was refreshing to hear Danielson say “WWE” without hesitation.

AEW Dynamite Misses

Orange Cassidy and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors: Ishii showed heart by finishing the match despite being injured, and one can only hope he didn’t make it worse. The Miss is for the match outcome. Cassidy is firmly established, and Ishii loses more than he wins in AEW, so why not use this match to help establish Kidd and Connors?

FTR and Young Bucks segment: What was up with the show jumping past the Bucks superkicking Stokely Hathaway? I watched the show on TBS and wondered if it was a network glitch, but the same jump occurred when I watched the segment back on HBO Max. On a side note, Hathaway didn’t notice the commotion of the Bucks superkicking Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler right behind him, and his peripheral vision didn’t catch Matt Jackson beside him. If this managing thing doesn’t work out, Big Stoke clearly has the absurd level of obliviousness required to be an AEW referee.

Thunder Rosa’s return: This was Rosa’s first appearance since All In Texas last July, and she returned with no fanfare during a backstage promo. Why? The live crowd was happy to see her and responded well to her mic work, but Rosa’s return should have packed more of a punch.

Follow-up to Wheeler Yuta having his head shaved at AEW Grand Slam: This was presented as an afterthought. I’m not saying they should have built the show around Yuta losing his hair, but part of the fun of a heel losing a hair vs. hair match seeing how they respond.

(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)