AEW Dynamite
April 9, 2025
By: John Siino
Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
RESULTS
- Jon Moxley over Katsuyori Shibata via referee stoppage (5:38)
- Swerve Strickland over PAC via pinfall (4:16)
- Will Ospreay, Mike Bailey, Mark Briscoe & Kevin Knight over Ricochet, The Beast Mortos, Lio Rush & Action Andretti via pinfall (11:59)
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Kris Statlander over Thunder Rosa via pinfall (9:38)
- Hook & Samoa Joe over Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta via submission (10:44)
Be Careful
We start the show with a video from the Death Riders in which Jon Moxley talks about AEW having the best roster every week on Dynamite. He asks why none of them can stop him and says nobody wants “It”. This is his life’s work, and it won’t be bought or sold. He says it’s interesting that The Young Bucks have returned, but he hasn’t recognized them in a long time and tells them to be careful before they make any moves. We cut live to the arena as Moxley makes his way out for his match.
Jon Moxley (w/ Marina Shafir) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
This is the first time these two have ever shared a ring, and right away, Katsuyori Shibata takes Jon Moxley down and traps him in a headscissors, but Moxley gets out as they tussle back and forth in the middle of the ring, trying to take each other down. Shibata stops all that grappling with a big chop, and they then proceed to trade off on more chops. Moxley’s chest is all red, as Shibata challenges him to deliver some boots before Shibata sweeps him down. Shibata keeps Moxley cornered with dropkicks, but Moxley stops him with a pair of clotheslines but only gets a one-count. Moxley comes back with an eye gauge and puts on a rear choke as the referee calls the match off.
Winner: Jon Moxley by referee stoppage at 5:38
Buck Hunting Season
As soon as the match is over and Moxley is about to leave, The Young Bucks music hits as they join him in the ring. Marina gets in their face, but Moxley tells her something as they both leave through the crowd. Nicholas Jackson tells people to show some respect to the founding fathers of AEW. They address why they cost Swerve Strickland the AEW World Championship and say they have a couple of good reasons why they did what they did. They say they did it for their good friend ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and this is what he wanted all along. Hangman never wanted Swerve to be the world champion, and they did that as they still love Hangman and know he loves them. Matthew Jackson takes over as the crowd chants for Swerve. Matthew addresses what they did for Moxley as a peace offering, as they have no problem with him and hope he has no problem with them. When they sat at home, they realized they had more in common with Moxley, like wanting AEW to be the best company in the world and wanting to change the world just like the Death Riders. They saw Moxley do something they couldn’t do, by taking over AEW and taking the AEW World Championship. Last Sunday was their elevator pitch to the Death Riders, and imagine if the Elite and the Death Riders worked as one. He tells Moxley to come back out with his boys to discuss business. Instead, we hear the music of Kenny Omega.
Omega says the Bucks forgot about him and brought up the last time they were together, and they attacked him while on a stretcher. He had forgiven them and wasn’t focused on revenge when he came back. Omega started talking about this friend from high school who had dogs who kept making ‘dookies’ and compares them to what the Bucks were like without Omega around. The crowd starts chanting Dookie, but not for the NJPW wrestler. Omega says the Bucks almost killed the company he gave his life, heart, and soul for. Omega starts criticizing the Bucks’ appearances before he just suggests to cut out the middle man and get in the ring and fight. As Omega is entering, Kazuchika Okada’s music hits as he makes his way to the ring, but then Swerve Strickland’s music hits, as he runs in from behind with a chair to chase away The Elite. Omega fist-bumps Swerve before leaving Swerve & Prince Nana in the ring. Swerve says it’s Buck-hunting season and is ready to blast on some EVPs, but before he can continue, he gets attacked from behind by his opponent for tonight in PAC. Before the match can start, they head to commercials.
Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana) vs. PAC
We come back, as the referee starts the match, and Swerve Strickland goes right after PAC in the corner, as PAC rolls to the outside to catch a breather just to get a kick off the apron from Swerve. Swerve starts aggressively tossing PAC against the steel steps and barricades. Once back inside, Swerve launches PAC with a buckle bomb. PAC rolls to the outside again as the doctor starts checking on his foot and ankle. PAC hobbles back in and gets taken out with a superkick. Swerve follows with the Swerve Stomp to get the quick pin and win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland by pinfall at 4:16
Swerve looks into the camera after the match and sends out a warning to the Young Bucks, bringing up last year’s Blood & Guts win over them and says that he’s not hard to find.
Diversify My Portfolio
We hear from the teams in tonight’s eight-man tag team match as Ricochet says he can do a lot with $400,000, but his teammates are taken aback that Ricochet is the captain. We go to the babyfaces, as Mark Briscoe asks his team what they are going to do with $100,000 as Ospreay says Disney World, Mike Bailey says he’ll buy himself new shoes as Kevin Knight says he’s going to Magic City. When Briscoe gets asked, he says he is going to diversify his portfolio.
Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Matches
They go over the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament before announcing that this Saturday we will have the quarter final matches between Jamie Hayter vs. Billie Starkz and Harley Cameron vs. Athena, with the winner of Cameron & Athena facing off against Mercedes Mone’ in the semi-finals on next week’s Spring BreakThru episode of AEW Dynamite in Boston.
Hangman Looks For Swerve
Renee Paquette is in the back and stops ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, who says he doesn’t know who the hell the wild card is that he’s facing before he bursts into Swerve Strickland’s locker room where it’s just Prince Nana in there. Page tells Nana that he wasn’t trying to help Swerve at Dynasty and tells him to tell Swerve not to get involved in the Owen Hart Tournament, or they’ll pick up where they left off. Nana goes to tell Page that he regrets what he did, but Page stops him and tells him that he doesn’t get that.
Ricochet, The Beast Mortos & CRU (Action Andretti & Lio Rush) vs. Mark Briscoe, Kevin Knight, Mike Bailey & Will Ospreay
This match will be contested for a prize of $400,000, which the winning team will split into four. Mike Bailey & Ricochet start the match, but immediately, Ricochet tags out to The Beast Mortos. Bailey quickly gains the upper hand, as Mortos tags out to Ricochet, just for him to tag right back out to Lio Rush. Will Ospreay joins him but gets distracted by Action Andretti, as Rush attacks Ospreay in their corner. This escalates to all eight men going at it in the ring as Rick Knox just gives up at his job. The heels all get sent to the outside as all the babyfaces hit dives on them, ending with Bailey and his corner moonsault. As the faces are celebrating, Ricochet attempts a dive onto him, but they all side-step him, and then all four give him a bonk on his head Three Stooges style while all simultaneously chanting ‘Bald head’ as we go to commercial.
We return as everyone is taking turns in the ring until CRU starts double-teaming on Kevin Knight, as these teams must have promised a cut of the winning prize to Rick Knox with how much he’s letting slide in this match. Ricochet hits a Death Valley Driver on Bailey, but he kicks out at two. Looks like Bailey & Mortos are the legal men, but Mark Briscoe quickly joins in as he and Bailey do in stereo crane kicks. Ospreay hits Mortos with a cutter, followed by a top-rope splash by Knight, but everybody in this match runs in to break up the pin. After it clears, Ospreay hits Mortos with the Hidden Blade to pick up the win.
Winners: Will Ospreay, Mark Briscoe, Mike Bailey, & Kevin Knight by pinfall at 11:59
They show footage of FTR attacking Cope at Dynasty and say his injuries have ruled him out indefinitely. Tony Schiavone speaks into the camera and says he’s disappointed in FTR and brings up Dax Harwood’s daughter being disappointed in him and calls the attack premeditated. I’d watch your back if I was you, Schiavone.
MJF Wants To Hurt People
The Hurt Syndicate make their way to the ring in what looks to be a celebration for their win at Dynasty. MVP says this is an official announcement from The Hurt Syndicate that punks jump up to get beat down, as two more challengers stepped up and two more challengers got beat down. MVP starts passing bottles to Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin, but as they toast, they get interrupted by the music of MJF. MJF just gets into the line-up as if he’s a member of The Hurt Syndicate, as Lashley doesn’t look amused at all. MJF says this couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time, as Tony Khan wanted him to ‘sweat’ and be in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Now that he’s rolling with the Syndicate, he can cut the line and get back what is his in the AEW World Championship. MJF says now that he helped them retain the tag titles, they can help him now and asks how the initiation process works but Lashley tells him to shut his freaking mouth. Lashley said that MJF didn’t get the job done, and that’s another reason why they don’t need him. They start talking over each other before MVP and Benjamin get in between them. MVP says this will result in a three thumbs voting as MVP puts his thumb up, but Benjamin puts it down to join Lashley as they leave together. MVP shrugs to MJF before leaving as well.
I Will Make You Bow Down
Renee is in the back with Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford. As Ford says, Bayne’s defeat changes nothing and says everything will just get worse. This division won’t move on, and Bayne will be at Collision. Bayne cuts her off and says she will make you bow down.
Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarter Final Match: Thunder Rosa vs. Kris Statlander
These two women have faced off in the indies a couple of times, but this is their first time going one-on-one in AEW. Toni Storm joins commentary, with Luther by her side and mentions how if she was a team with Kris Statlander, they would be Thunder Thighs, but if she was a team with Tony Schiavone they would just be ‘Tits’, which gets Excalibur & Taz to laugh non-stop. They start fighting against the ropes, each with one dodging the other before Thunder Rosa lands a dropkick that sends Statlander to the outside as we quickly go to commercial. (Sii-note: The color scheme of Rosa & Statlander can’t help me think of this infamous duo)
When we come back, they are going back and forth before Rosa lands a Destroyer for two. Rosa stays in control before Statlander stops her with a clothesline and lands the Staturday Night Fever to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Kris Statlander by pinfall at 9:38, to advance
Don Callis Family Accepting New Members
Don Callis is in the back with Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita and predicts they will face off in the finals, before addressing both of their opponents in Mark Briscoe & Brody King and says due to their recent string of injuries they are accepting new members, as they announce Takeshita will take on Brody King this Saturday on Collision.
The Paragon
We go to The Undisputed Kingdom, as Kyle O’Reilly says they have been chasing that one moment to kick things off, and the TNT Championship is the start as they collect moments. Roderick Strong says it’s about time they have their moment, as Adam Cole says they will. Cole says the last two years were the most challenging years of his life, but now he is the new AEW TNT Champion and this is just the beginning before he refers to themselves as The Paragon.
Not Angry, Just Disappointed
Chris Jericho makes his way to the ring for a TV Time segment as he admits that on Dynasty, he lost his match, his tooth, and his title and congratulates Bandido on pulling it off. Jericho says he understands why Bandido’s family helped him, as he has his family and Jericho has his own as he brings out Big Bill & Bryan Keith. Jericho says that Bill & Keith didn’t win the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but before he can continue, Bill stops him. Bill already knows that Jericho is angry, and he has every right to be, and he’s angry as well. Bill talks about being very angry lately as Keith tries to stop him, but he doesn’t. Bill says he joined the Learning Tree because he wanted to learn from him, but he didn’t sign up to be his punching bag whenever things go wrong. If Jericho is going to publicly humiliate them, let him know right now so he can leave, and he knows Keith feels the same way. Jericho says he cares about both of them and handpicked them to help them because they have the potential to be future world champions. He said he lost the ROH World Championship, and they weren’t there. Some may say it’s their fault he lost that match, but he’s not saying that as he doesn’t believe that at all. He said he’s not angry, just disappointed, as he starts attacking the TV with his bat, saying he’s disappointed over and over again. Jericho says he’s disappointed in them and that he needs to leave.
Little George Constanza
Alicia Atout is in the back with The Hurt Syndicate and asks where things are going with MJF. Bobby Lashley says MJF isn’t to be trusted, he doesn’t like him, and they don’t need him. Shelton Benamin admits that they don’t need anybody but says that ‘little George Constanza’ is kind of funny. Lashley & Benjamin leave, as MJF enters, kicks Atout out and asks MVP if he looks like a ‘female dog’ to him and asks why they keep treating him like a punk bitch. MVP says this is a business and to find out what the consumer wants and give it to them.
We see Chris Jericho leaving the arena, not before taking a bat to some equipment, before getting into a truck and leaving.
Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Opps (Samoa Joe & Hook)
Samoa Joe & Wheeler Yuta start the match, but as Yuta takes a shot, he escapes to the outside before tagging out to Claudio Castagnoli. Joe & Claudio start chops before Hook & Yuta tag in, with Hook dodging a cross-body from Yuta that he must have learned from Joe. Hook pushes Yuta off from the apron but gets a stomp from Claudio as a result, heading into commercial.
When we come back, Claudio is still in control over Hook and toying with him, but Hook stops Claudio with a T-Bone suplex in the corner. As he crawls over to make the tag to Joe, Yuta runs in to stop him. Hook finally is free, but Joe is knocked out on the outside as Hook screams for him just to get stopped in the corner with an uppercut. Joe & Claudio start fighting on the outside as Hook puts on the Redrum. Jon Moxley runs down and distracts Bryce Remsburg as Yuta bites his way out of the move. Katsuyori Shibata runs down and puts a choke on Moxley as Hook puts the Redrum back on Yuta. Joe is holding Claudio down on the outside with a Coquina Clutch, as Yuta taps out to end the match.
Winners: The Opps (Hook & Samoa Joe) by submission at 10:44
Marina Shafir runs in with a chair after and takes out Joe as Claudio & Yuta attack Hook. Shibata runs in but gets stopped as well. Claudio hits the Neutralizer to Hook on top of the chair with the legs up before the Death Riders run off into the crowd. Joe gets on the mic and calls Death Riders some ‘cowardly sons of bitches’. He says The Opps came here to get into a fist fight and sounds like he calls them ‘Dick Riders’ but it gets censored. Joe then puts out the challenge of The Opps vs. Death Riders for the AEW World Trios Championship.
Collision Line-Up
- Anthony Bowens vs. Blake Christian
- We’ll hear from FTR
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Brody King vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Jamie Hayter vs. Billie Starkz
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Athena vs. Harley Cameron
Dynamite Spring BreakThru Line-Up
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Mercedes Mone vs. winner of Athena & Harley Cameron
