AEW Dynamite
May 28, 2025
By: John Siino
El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas
Commentary: Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni & Taz
RESULTS:
- Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir & Gabe Kidd over Mark Briscoe, Mike Bailey & Willow Nightingale by referee stoppage (18:43)
- No Disqualification: Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford over Anna Jay & Harley Cameron via pinfall (11:01)
- Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata over Preston Vance, Griff Garrison & Cole Karter via pinfall (3:13)
- AEW TNT Championship: Adam Cole (c) over Kyle Fletcher via disqualification (9:34)
- AEW International Title Qualifier: Brody King over Josh Alexander by pinfall (14:13) (RECOMMENDED)
Hangman Wants Gold, Swerve Wants Answers, Ospreay Wants Peace
The show starts with Tony Schiavone in the ring as he brings out the winner of the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament, in ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, who gets a big reaction, as he’s wearing the Tournament championship. Page talks about triumph being a moment that passes you, but so is defeat, and in the past three years, that’s something that he let himself lose sight of. What matters is what you decide to do with the win or loss, and at Double or Nothing, both he and Will Ospreay knew that one of them would have to leave defeated. He says thank you to Ospreay for the fight of his life and reminds him why he decided to do this in the first place. He says he can’t relish with his victory, as it’s temporary and fleeting and he will not carry and defend the Owen Championship as next year they will crown a new champion, so he passes it over to Schiavone (Sii-note: I don’t think Mercedes Mone will be so willing to hand over her Owen title so quickly). Page starts addressing the AEW World Championship and says for seven months it has been hidden from the world, locked away in a briefcase. Page continues about the title being about compassion, passion, and human dignity, which we all treat each other with and on his first day in AEW he told everyone that the fans would be his boss, so tonight he will make them a promise that in seven weeks, here in Texas, he will win the AEW World Championship and free it from that briefcase and hold it above his head, carry and defend it, and that’s a promise that he’ll keep.
Swerve Strickland’s music plays as he makes his way to the ring alone. He explains why he’s here, as he throws to a video from the April 9th episode of Dynamite, where we hear The Young Bucks saying they cost Swerve the title because of their friend Hangman. Swerve says he had the match won at Dynasty until the Bucks showed up and cost him that championship, but reminds us that Hangman was in that ring as well, and has a championship opportunity based on Swerve’s loss. Swerve brings up the fact that Hangman made the promise that Swerve would never get that title again, and he asks Hangman if he was responsible for what happened at Dynasty. Hangman says at Dynasty he locked his eyes on Swerve, and then locked his eyes on Jon Moxley, and for a second, he even thought about helping Swerve. If he wanted to cost Swerve the match, he would have done it himself to his face, because he has done it before. Swerve says that sounds good, but Hangman is still full of switch as they get into each other’s faces.
Will Ospreay’s music hits as he now makes his way into the ring to get in between them and separate them. Ospreay tells Swerve he hates to get involved in his business, and looks up to him as a big brother, but says he is wrong about Hangman. Ospreay continues that he’s never felt more defeated than he did at Double or Nothing, but after Hangman picked him up and shook his hand like a man. He looked in his eyes and he could tell that Hangman cares about this place, and it’s funny because Swerve did the same thing he did. Ospreay says it’s not Swerve or himself, but it’s Hangman’s time, and they have one shot at this, and we could make it easier on Hangman if they all work together, but Swerve slaps the microphone out of his hand at this idea. Swerve says he will never work with Hangman and leaves them in the ring. Hangman tells Ospreay the same before he leaves.
We see highlights of Anarchy in the Arena, before we cut to the Death Riders and Gabe Kidd making their way into the arena for their match. Claudio Castagnoli drops them off, but doesn’t join them for the match.
Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir) & Gabe Kidd (w/ Wheeler Yuta) vs. Willow Nightingale, Mike Bailey & Mark Briscoe
As soon as the bell rings, Gabe Kidd (in jeans) & Mark Briscoe go at it, but the rest of the competitors quickly enter as they all start brawling inside and outside of the ring, including Briscoe jumping off a chair onto everyone as we go to our first break of the night.
When we return, Briscoe & Jon Moxley are going at it until Briscoe escapes and makes the hot tag to Mike Bailey. Willow Nightingale & Marina Shafir enter, but Gabe Kidd breaks up the pin from Willow, before Briscoe enters and sends him out of the ring. Bailey starts kicking away at Moxley, but gets taken out by a German Suplex from Shafir. Kidd & Bailey go at it on the outside, as Kidd sends Bailey crashing onto a table by the time keeper’s area, as we go to another commercial. (Sii-note: We got the announcement graphic that Collision will air this Saturday either ‘Coast-to-Coast 8 PM ET OR following NBA Playoffs Game 6, so it looks like the fate of Collision Course’s recording time this week is in the hands of the New York Knicks, leaving me as a very conflicted New Yorker.)
Kidd gets the tag and gets right in Willow’s face, allowing Bailey to attack Kidd with a bunch of kicks before he gets taken out with a big clothesline, as we see Kris Statlander watching from the back. Briscoe enters and sends Kidd to the outside with a throw before taking him out with a dropkick through the ropes and diving onto Moxley as Willow takes out Shafir with a pounce that the camera sadly misses. Bailey hits a triangle moonsault as Wheeler Yuta gets on the apron to try and take out Briscoe, but it fails, as Briscoe hits the Froggy Bow on Kidd, but only gets a two-count. Claudio Castagnoli runs down to the ring, distracting Briscoe while Komander appears out of nowhere and runs the ropes, taking out Claudio, as they have a match on Collision this Saturday. Moxley hits Briscoe with the Paradigm Shift and puts on the Bulldog Choke, as Kidd holds down Bailey while Marina puts the Mother’s Milk on Willow until Briscoe passes out and Aubrey Edwards calls off the match.
Winners: Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir) & Gabe Kidd by referee stoppage at 18:43
We hear from The Hurt Syndicate after Double or Nothing as they talk about their victory and MJF’s debut as a full-fledged member of their faction. MJF says now that he’s in the Syndicate, those tag titles won’t go anywhere and talks about the AEW World Championship being soon around his waist and whoever gets in their way will be laying in a pool of their piss.
We go to Penelope Ford & Megan Bayne, as Ford is hyping up their rematch with Anna Jay & Penelope Ford tonight, saying it’s no disqualification since Jay & Ford had to cheat to win, as Bayne says they will be her sacrifice.
Ricochet Needs A “CRU”
We see Ricochet in the back who talks about his victory at Double or Nothing before addressing Death Riders, The Opps, The Don Callis Family & The Hurt Syndicate, and it makes him think that he needs a group of his own. (Sii-note: Ricochet put a little extra emphasis on saying he needs a perfect ‘CRU’)
No Disqualification: Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford vs. Anna Jay & Harley Cameron
All four ladies come out with weapons, including trash cans, chairs, and wooden boards, as Anna Jay & Harley Cameron run in to start the match right away, with Megan Bayne going crashing into a chair in the corner. Jay & Cameron start attacking Bayne from all angles with a lead pipe and a chair, but it barely fazes Bayne as she takes them both out with a double clothesline. Bayne takes her golden chair and tries to suplex Harley onto it, just to get sent face-first onto it herself and taken out by Jay. All these weapons are never enough, as the crowd wants tables, which Taz questions, saying ‘give me a break’, but as soon as Jay & Harley grab the table, he is all for it, as we head to commercial. (Sii-note: Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like they are going to commercials more frequently and quickly during the matches tonight.)
We come back to see Jay & Harley double-teaming Bayne on the apron before power bombing her onto the table on the outside. Ford tries to moonsault onto Jay, but she dodges it as Ford goes crashing onto a flat chair. Bayne catches Harley on the outside and slams her face-first onto the steps as Paul Turner immediately calls the doctor over, as Harley is busted open and calls the doctor off. Jay hits Ford with a Gory Bomb, but Bayne enters just in time to break it up, sending Jay onto a flat chair with the Faith’s Descent, but ‘Hardcore Harley’ breaks up the count. Bayne puts Jay on her shoulders as Ford “connects” (she did not) with a Doomsday Device as they get the pin and the win.
Winners: Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford by pinfall at 11:01
We see Mercedes Mone rolling into the arena Eddie Guerrero-style in a low rider and surprise-surprise draped in all her titles, including the Owen Championship.
The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata) vs. The Frat House (Preston Vance, Cole Karter & Griff Garrison) (w/ Jacked Jameson)
We see highlights of The Frat House partying last night, as the assumption is they are all hungover going into this match. Jacked Jameson talks about throwing these parties in all these towns looking for their next member, before talking down on El Paso’s ‘strong’ motto, saying everybody here is weak and strong, and the women are fat and ugly, before saying they are walking out of here as the new Trios Champions. Samoa Joe goes after Preston Vance to start the match, before Griff Garrison tags in. Katsuyori Shibata tags in and takes out Garrison in the corner with a dropkick, getting a two-count. Powerhouse Hobbs enters, but as the referee is distracted, gets attacked from behind by Jameson and a wooden board before the rest of the pledges run in and get taken out by Hobbs with spinebusters. Hobbs hits Vance with one as well before catching Karter off the ropes into a spinebuster to get the quick pin and win.
Winners: The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata) by pinfall at 3:13
Thekla Debuts
After the break, Renee Paquette is in the ring and introduces Jamie Hayter, who asked for this time tonight, and asks her if she thought about what’s next for her tonight after coming up short in the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament. Before she can answer, the lights go out, and when they come back on, we see the logo of Thekla on the tron, as Thekla in the ring, making her debut fresh off her Stardom departure, as Hayter is taken out. (Sii-note: That felt like the most rushed debut I’ve ever seen for someone.)
AEW TNT Championship: Adam Cole (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher (w/ Lance Archer)
Don Callis, as usual for his Don Callis Family, goes and joins the commentary team, saying that as his Family grows in numbers, they are taking over this company. Kyle Fletcher starts the first couple of minutes in control, before Adam Cole sends him to the outside, but before he can go after him, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta run out, just to be taken out by Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly as they all go brawling to the back. Fletcher takes advantage of this distraction and hits a superkick followed by a BRUTAL apron bomb, as Cole’s neck bounced off the edge of the apron and onto the apron, heading into commercials. (Sii-note: Holy shit that looks scary. At this rate, more people are going to come out of this episode injured than they did at Double or Nothing.)
Upon return, Fletcher is in control as Don Callis says Cole only has himself to blame for that apron bomb for going to the outside. Cole mounts a comeback, dropping Fletcher on his knee to get a two-count. Cole continues, hitting the Panama Sunrise, but as he sets up for The Boom, Josh Alexander runs out and attacks him, causing the disqualification.
Winner: Adam Cole by disqualification at 9:34
Alexander & Fletcher keep attacking Cole, before Brody King runs out with a chair to chase them away. Security runs out to try and separate them as their match is up next. (Sii-note: I like how they are saving Toni Storm & Mercedes Mone for the final segment, makes me think that we are getting Athena – being in Texas – and somehow she ‘cashes in’ her ROH World Title and makes the All In match a triple threat.)
AEW International Championship Qualifier Match: Josh Alexander (w/ Lance Archer) vs. Brody King
We return as security gets out of the way as this match gets underway, with the winner being one of three men to challenge Kenny Omega for the International Championship on next week’s ‘Fyter Fest’ episode of AEW Dynamite/Collision, with the other two competitors being determined on Collision this Saturday. They quickly take it to the outside as Josh Alexander dodges Brody King’s fist, which goes crashing into the ring post. They continue to brawl around the ring and barricades, as Alexander starts smashing Brody’s arm around the ring post and into the steel steps as we go to commercial.
When we return, they head to the top rope, as Alexander snaps Brody’s arm on the top rope, before they head to the apron, where they tussle for a bit until Alexander hits a German Suplex, as Brody goes crashing onto the outside. Brody places Alexander on a chair and crushes him with a crossbody into the guard rail before tossing him back inside, missing the cannonball in the corner. Alexander quickly follows with an ankle lock before transitioning into a trapped German Suplex for a two-count, as Alexander is gushing blood from his face. Alexander heads to the top rope and tries a moonsault, but Brody gets his knees up before hitting a lariat, followed by a Gonzo Bomb to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Brody King by pinfall at 14:13, to advance
We see a pissed off Kyle Fletcher in the back who says he didn’t need any help and he should be standing there as the AEW TNT Champion, and on cue, Adam Cole shows up and starts attacking him, saying that he had him beat.
Mercedes Mone & Toni Storm Meet Face-To-Face
Mercedes Mone heads to the ring, being back to 4-belts Mone, as she calls herself the greatest winner of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. She talks about legends like Owen Hart & Eddie Guerrero, which gets a chant here in El Paso, before she says legends like that can’t compare to her greatness. Before she can continue, she gets interrupted by Toni Storm, who makes her way to the ring. Storm lays her AEW Women’s World Championship in between them, as Mercedes says they finally meet, but the fans are sick of the black & white when they have her as a champion fully in color. Storm says she’s been waiting so long for her, 441 days ago on a show that was named after her, and since then, she’s won titles, made history, and remained undefeated. Storm says since then, they have never spoken, but she told Tony Khan that this was the match she wanted to have and asked Mercedes what took her so long. Mercedes starts talking like Storm, saying it’s ‘patience, darling, patience’, and says this was about her legacy as she’s the Beyonce of Women’s Wrestling. Mercedes says she is the revolution, as the crowd chants ‘no, you’re not’. Storm says she’s the ‘Toni Storm of professional wrestling’ as Mercedes says she is different than the shy, nervous Toni Storm she met 10 years ago, but she’s different as well, as she’s not a boss anymore, but a CEO. Mercedes continues by saying they will have the greatest women’s match of all time, as Storm says they both started so young, struggled in the indies, were given trophies & flowers, then left it all behind to follow their hearts, then became exactly who they were meant to be in AEW. There is just one glaring difference: that while Mercedes wants all the titles, Storm needs only one, and she has lived for it, cried for it, bled for it, and has died for it. They start making some Mone’ Train and Toni Tunnel puns, before Storm says someone will watch their match and say ‘Holy shit, these bitches are crazy’ and then she will find out who the better woman is. She ends by saying Mercedes might be the greatest of all time, but unfortunately for her, Toni happens to be Timeless. Mone ends by saying that Toni’s ‘time’ will come to an end before putting her hand out to Toni, who shakes it, pulls Mercedes in, sniffs her and kisses her hand before they start going back-and-forth before Mercedes bails out of the ring.
Collision Line-Up
- AEW International Title Qualifier: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Komander
- AEW International Title Qualifier: Mascara Dorada vs. Hechicero
- Skye Blue vs. Mina Shirakawa
- Konosuke Takeshita, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta vs. Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii
Fyter Fest Line-Up
- AEW International Title Four Way: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Brody King vs. ??? vs. ???
