By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Dynamite (Episode 346)
Portland, Maine, at Cross Insurance Arena
Simulcast live May 20, 2026, on TBS and HBO Max
[Hour One] Excalibur opened the show on commentary and hyped some of the upcoming matches. Excalibur was joined on commentary by Taz and Tony Schiavone…
Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Chris Jericho were shown standing by a lighthouse in the host city. The Jacksons recalled Jericho beating the hell out of their father. Jericho apologized. The trio settled on the name of “Y2Jackson” for their trios team…
“The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson made their entrance, and then Chris Jericho’s entrance followed. The Bucks and Jericho wore jackets with their team names on the back.
1. Chris Jericho and “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. Andrade El Idolo, Ricochet, and Mark Davis. Don Callis sat in on commentary. The Bucks and Jericho were in offensive control before the first commercial break. [C]
The Bucks and Jericho all mounted their opponents in various corners of the ring and threw ten punches while the fans counted along. They capped it off with three huracanranas that pulled their opponents off the ropes.
A short time later, the Bucks hit Andrade with a BTE Trigger, but Ricochet broke up the pin attempt that followed. Jericho clotheslined Ricochet over the top rope to the floor. Jericho hit Ricochet with a baseball slide dropkick. Ricochet battled back, but Jericho suplexed him through tables in the timekeeper’s area.
In the ring, the Bucks hit Andrade with a double superkick and another BTE Trigger. Matt covered Andrade, who kicked out at the last moment. The Bucks set up for the Meltzer Driver, but the referee got caught up with Davis holding a chair on the floor and somehow missed it when Clark Connors took out Nick, and then David Finlay hit Matt with a shillelagh. Andrade fell onto Matt, and the referee turned around and counted the pin.
Andrade El Idolo, Ricochet, and Mark Davis defeated Chris Jericho and “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson in 13:55.
After the match, Jack Perry came out holding a bag of onions, which he slammed over the head of Toa Liona. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin made their entrance and fought with Liona and Davis. Finlay and Perry, and Benjamin and Davis were shown fighting in different parts of the crowd. In the ring, Lashley speared Liona while MVP watched…
Don Callis narrated a video package for Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International Championship at Double or Nothing… [C]
Powell’s POV: AEW has cleaned up a lot of the things since the company launched, but their reliance on finishes that make the referees look like morons is not one of them. Obviously, the match served as a preview for the Stadium Stampede match, so it was logical for the heels to go over. I’m filling in for Jake Barnett, who has been camping out for The Mandalorian and Grogu tickets for several days (no one tell him that he could just order the tickets online). Finally, roughly an hour before showtime, WrestleTix listed the venue as being set up for 3,159, with 2,846 tickets distributed for AEW’s debut in the venue.
Renee Paquette interviewed AEW World Champion Darby Allin on the backstage interview set. She asked Allin why he keeps taking so many title matches. Allin said he isn’t numb to the pain. He said people ask him why he does it every week, but he said he has no choice. He said being the AEW World Champion is the greatest feeling. He also explained that he wanted the hair stipulation for the match at Double or Nothing because of how vain MJF is and how much it would bother him to lose his hair. He also spoke about facing Mike Bailey in tonight’s main event. Allin said he would do anything to keep his title, and he wants Bailey to do the same…
A video package spotlighted the Darby Allin vs. MJF match for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing…
2. Mark Briscoe vs. Tommaso Ciampa in an anything goes match. Both entrances were televised. Briscoe brought a trash can filled with weapons to the ring. Ciampa reached inside the trash can early on and sold pain. Ciampa pulled his hand out of the trash can and showed that it was caught in a rat trap, which got some laughs from the crowd.
A short time later, Ciampa stood on the apron and pulled a chain that was wrapped around the neck of Briscoe, who fell off the ropes and through a table on the floor. Ciampa pulled out a cheese grater and used it to rake Briscoe’s forehead. Briscoe bled while the fans chanted, “You sick f—” before a PIP break. [C]
Ciampa stabled barbed wire to a table. He also taped a sheet of paper to Briscoe’s forehead. Ciampa put on a kneepad with thumbtacks and tried to hit Briscoe with a knee strike, but he moved. Briscoe jabbed Ciampa’s head with a screwdriver, and Ciampa bled heavily. Ciampa suplexed Briscoe onto a ladder leaning in a corner of the ring, which resulted in a two count.
Excalibur hyped Mick Foley as Renee Paquette’s co-host for the Double or Nothing pre-show. In the ring, Briscoe set up two chairs back to back. Briscoe pulled Ciampa off the ropes, and his back landed on top of the two chairs. Good lord.
Briscoe followed up with a piledriver off the apron and through the barbed wire table on the floor. Briscoe rolled Ciampa back inside the ring and hit him with Froggy Bow before pinning him…
Mark Briscoe defeated Tommaso Ciampa in 14:15 in an anything goes match.
Excalibur hyped Swerve Strickland’s return as coming up after a break… [C]
Powell’s POV: The wrestlers busted their asses, and the live crowd loved it, but it was a bit much for the second match of a three-hour block. Why not give the match a better build and feature it as a Collision main event one of these weeks? My back hurts from watching Ciampa take that insane bump on top of the two chairs.
Tony Schiavone stood in the ring and was about to hype Swerve Strickland’s opening-round match in the Owen Hart Cup tournament. Prince Nana interrupted and dismissed Schiavone before introducing Swerve, who made his entrance.
Bandido came out and hit Swerve from behind. Bandido worked over Swerve on the floor and ran him into the ring steps. Bandido caught Nana winding up with a chair. Swerve used the distraction to kick the back of Bandido’s left knee.
Swerve rolled Bandido inside the ring, where he set up a chair. Swerve set up for a move, but Bandido cut him off and powerslammed him. Bandido set up for a move. Swerve threw a chair at Bandido, who knocked it down (it looked like he wanted to catch it). Bandido wound up to hit Swerve with the chair, but Swerve rolled out of the ring…
Powell’s POV: A flat brawl. It wasn’t all bad, but it’s hard to follow the anything goes match. There were some clunky moments, including the closing seconds, which cooled off the live crowd.
TBS Champion Willow Nightingale delivered a backstage promo. She recalled deciding to fight day in and day out with any challenger who stepped up. She said she didn’t deserve to be the champion if she couldn’t do that.
[Hour Two] Willow announced that she injured her right shoulder in her latest title defense. She said she wanted to fight at Double or Nothing in New York and go on to become the AEW Women’s Champion.
Willow announced that she had to bow out of the tournament and forfeit the TBS Championship. She voted to return. She said she didn’t know when she would be back, but she would go right back to the top. Willow put the title belt down and thanked the fans…
The updated bracket for the women’s Owen Hart Cup tournament listed a wild card entrant as the replacement for Willow in her match against Alex Windsor…
Powell’s POV: It’s a shame that Willow had to relinquish the title. There’s been plenty of fan speculation that Mercedes Mone will return for the tournament. She could replace Willow, but there may be other open spots, given the uncertainty regarding the health of some of the international talent in the tournament.
Ring announcer Arkady Aura introduced Jon Moxley, who entered through the crowd. Renee Paquette checked in with some comments from the floor. She spoke of the match being a test for Kyle O’Reilly coming back from his injury, and recalled that he forced Moxley to submit twice during past matches. O’Reilly made his entrance wearing a backpack. He removed the backpack once he was in the ring and pulled out an AEW Trios Title belt…
3. AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley vs. Kyle O’Reilly in an eliminator match. O’Reilly targeted Moxley’s left leg with kicks. They traded punches in the middle of the ring several minutes into the match. Moxley punched O’Reilly in the gut, which O’Reilly sold. Moxley threw a series of punches to O’Reilly’s abdomen. Moxley got a running start for a move, but O’Reilly backdropped him over the top rope to the floor. O’Reilly ran the ropes for a move, but he sold abdominal pain before a PIP break. [C]
The wrestlers traded elbow strikes while Arkady Aura announced there was one minute remaining in the time limit. Moxley hit O’Reilly with a body shot. O’Reilly came back and caught Moxley in an ankle lock. Moxley teased tapping out, but he was able to hold on until the time limit expired.
AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley fought Kyle O’Reilly to a time limit draw in 20:00 in an eliminator match.
Aura announced that O’Reilly earned a title shot by fighting Moxley to a draw. O’Reilly took the mic from Aura and said he has a claim to the championship. O’Reilly said there will be no time limits when he challenges Moxley for the AEW Continental Championship…
Renee Paquette interviewed Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander on the backstage interview set. Paquette asked for their reaction to Willow Nightingale’s injury news. Statlander said it was awful. Shida interrupted and said they will fight for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing. Paquette said Statlander wasn’t medically cleared, then asked if she would be in time for the pay-per-view. Statlander said she would be. Shida moved Statlander’s glasses while saying they would have their eyes on the entire division. Statlander told her she better watch herself…
Powell’s POV: I get a kick out of Shida’s heel antics, but I don’t understand her oddball relationship with Statlander. The Moxley and O’Reilly match dragged after the commercial break. While there was more good than bad, it felt like they were stretching it out to go to the time limit or close to it.
Rush stood on the backstage interview set and said that if Darby Allin survives the weekend, he wants a shot at the AEW World Championship next week. Just in case you didn’t know, if you mess with the bull, you get the horns…
Athena made her entrance and was followed by the Triangle of Madness. The babyface entrances followed…
4. AEW Women’s Champion Thekla, ROH Women’s Champion Athena, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue vs. Thunder Rosa, Mina Shirakawa, Alex Windsor, and Jamie Hayter in an eight-woman tag team match. Excalibur hyped the Brawl at the Ballpark event that will be held on July 10 at Target Field in Minneapolis following a Minnesota Twins game. Shirakawa had Thekla down when the show went to a PIP break. [C]
Late in the match, Hayter and Windor pulled Blue to the floor and hit her with a combo move. In the ring, Thekla distracted the referee while Hart sprayed black mist into the eyes of Rosa. Thekla rolled up Rosa and pinned her…
AEW Women’s Champion Thekla, ROH Women’s Champion Athena, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue vs. Thunder Rosa, Mina Shirakawa, Alex Windsor, and Jamie Hayter in 9:45 in an eight-woman tag team match.
Powell’s POV: I was fine with last week’s DQ finish, but it would be nice if the company gave Thekla some clean wins. More than anything, I hope the black mist isn’t going to be turning a bunch of people into weirdo mist demons or whatever the hell they’re supposed to be.
TNT Champion Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey spoke on the interview set. Knight pumped up Bailey about challenging for the AEW World Championship. Knight said he would love to challenge Bailey for the championship if he wins. Bailey said he was on…
Excalibur said the AEW World Championship match was up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: Bailey should have asked when he gets his TNT Title shot.
Renee Paquette interrupted the Death Riders doing pushups in a backstage area and asked Jon Moxley how things would be different when he defends his title against Kyle O’Reilly with no time limit on Sunday. Moxley downplayed the lack of a time limit. He spoke about game seven and asked if he misses in those situations…
Mike Bailey made his entrance. Kevin Knight walked onto the stage with Bailey, but he did not accompany him to the ring. Darby Allin’s entrance followed. Just as the referee was about to call for the opening bell, MJF’s entrance music played. MJF walked out dressed in a suit and headed to the broadcast table…
5. Darby Allin vs. Mike Bailey for the AEW World Championship. MJF sat in on commentary. Bailey dropped Allin with a kick when the bell rang. Bailey set up for the Ultima Weapon, but Allin moved out of position. A short time later, Bailey had Allin leaning against the barricade. Bailey climbed on the barricade and was setting up for a move when Darby crotched him on the barricade. Darby performed a Scorpion Death Drop on top of the barricade before a PIP break. [C]
[Overrun] MJF said Allin can’t last long term if he continues to defend his title so frequently. In the ring, Bailey went for the Ultima Weapon, but Allin moved. Allin went up top and hit a Coffin Drop. The broadcast team said MJF left commentary. Darby covered Bailey and had him beat, but MJF put Bailey’s leg over the bottom rope.
Kevin Knight ran out. MJF put the headset on and told him to relax because he was doing commentary. Allin and Bailey traded two counts, and then Allin hit a Scorpion Death Drop. MJF said Allin would have had the energy to make the cover if he weren’t defending the championship so often.
Allin put Bailey in a Scorpion Death Lock. Knight encouraged Bailey, who was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Darby went up top quickly and hit the Coffin Drop. Allin reapplied the Scorpion Death Lock. Bailey reached out, but he was short of the ropes and had to tap out.
Darby Allin defeated Mike Bailey in 11:00 to retain the AEW World Championship.
A frustrated MJF stood up and left the broadcast table. Excalibur closed Dynamite. The screen went black for a second, and then Collision started…
Join me for my live review of AEW Collision in a separate review available via the main page.
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