Welcome to POST Wrestling’s live coverage article for tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite! Keep an eye on this page throughout the evening for the latest results and news from tonight’s show. Hit the refresh button in your browser to see the latest version of this article.
Still to come
- Rush vs. Darby Allin
- Thekla vs. Mina Shirakawa (AEW Women’s World Championship)
Results
- Kenny Omega def. Swerve Strickland (AEW World Championship #1 Contender Match) (20:34) (Recommended)
- Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia & Marina Shafir def. Dante Martin, Darius Martin & Zayda Steel (11:03)
- Speedball Bailey def. Rocky Romero (2:44)
- Clark Connors & David Finlay def. Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong (10:49)
Kenny Omega steals #1 contender spot from Swerve Strickland
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, live from the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota, kicked off with the biggest match of the night, Kenny Omega facing Swerve Strickland for the second time. Both men were putting something on the line this time, raising the stakes: Strickland wagered his #1 contender’s position, and Omega put up his status as an EVP in AEW.
The fight went to ringside early, where Omega scored a running knee strike to Strickland against a barricade. After a long struggle, Strickland answered back by running Omega back-first into a barricade.
Back in the ring, Omega was gaining some steam, picking up a near fall after landing his over-the-head running bulldog. He got another two-count after coming out of the corner with a “You Cannot Escape” moonsault.
Strickland dodged Omega’s first V-Trigger but got nailed by a second attempt moments later. Omega tried a One-Winged Angel off the middle rope, but Strickland escaped the fight-ending maneuver and instead connected with an Avalanche Olympic Slam before the show went to a quick commercial break.
Back from commercials, Omega ended a striking exchange by hitting a pair of snap-Dragon Suplexes. He tried for a third one on the ring apron, but Strickland avoided it by grabbing onto the referee – this spot also blinded the ref and allowed Strickland to drop Omega with a low-blow kick.
They went to the top of a barricade, where Strickland dropped Omega with a piledriver. They slipped off the top of the barricade and fell into the first row before hitting the move – those guardrails look like a challenging balancing act and it’s not surprising that this would eventually happen.
Strickland got a near fall from a powerbomb. A Big Pressure attempt was reversed into a roll-up from Omega, which gave him two. Strickland caught Omega off guard with a House Call. Strickland followed up with a Swerve Stomp off the top rope, but it still wasn’t enough to beat Omega.
Omega hit a flurry of elbows to escape a move from Strickland. The crowd willed him on with chants, as the former world champ was seemingly getting a second wind. A powerbomb attempt from Omega was countered into a powerslam from Strickland. Still, Omega survived with another kickout.
Strickland was seemingly about to try and hit a V-Trigger of his own, but Omega stood up to avoid the move. Omega sent Strickland into the ropes with a pair of knees and hit a V-Trigger. Strickland gouged the eyes of Omega to escape a One-Winged Angel attempt, then connected with the Vertebreaker, although Omega beat the count once again.
Omega avoided a Swerve Stomp, hit yet another V-Trigger, then finally connected with the One-Winged Angel for the pinfall win in 20 minutes. Fun one between these two. They might’ve gone a little too crazy with the near falls for my liking, but it didn’t take away from the match too much. Still one I’d recommend people check out. In a slower-paced matchup, Strickland and Omega put together a great TV showdown.
Happy that Omega got the win here, as the EVP stipulation could’ve allowed for some silly booking. Not surprising that he got the nod, since he hasn’t challenged for the title in years and the next AEW pay-per-view is in Canada.
Will Ospreay calls out Jon Moxley for Dynasty
In a backstage promo, Will Ospreay said he’s going after Jon Moxley and anyone associated with him. “If you’re gonna remain loyal to Jon, I’ll handle you personally. Meet me in Winnipeg, and we’ll fix this.”
Ospreay addressed Moxley, injuring him at Forbidden Door last year, doing so in front of his family and friends in London: “For that image alone … I’m going to order your life just like you’ve done mine. Jon, I want you at Dynasty, you motherf*****.” Really good promo from Ospreay.
Jon Moxley wins mixed tag match, accepts Will Ospreay’s challenge
Just moments after getting called out, Jon Moxley was in mixed tag action, teaming with Daniel Garcia and Marina Shafir to face Top Flight’s Dante & Darius Martin, as well as Zayda Steel. Commentary noted that, while Steel has wrestled three times on Collision, this was her Dynamite debut. The Martin Bros. got a pop from their home state crowd in Minnesota.
Top Flight got a decent spotlight during this match, with all three scoring tope suicidas before the show went to a break. Dante gave a hot tag after the show returned, giving Steel the tag to face off against Shafir.
Steel was on a roll, but had her momentum stopped by Wheeler Yuta, who tripped her up when she came near the ropes at one point. Moxley tagged back into the match and started setting up for a Doomsday Device onto Steel, although she was able to fight out of the double-team move.
Dante and Darius had a double-team sequence against Garcia in the ring. Christopher Daniels and Yuta got into it at ringside, an exchange which ended with Yuta dropping Daniels with a Busaiko Knee. Steel floored Yuta with a tope suicida moments later.
Back in the ring, Garcia locked in a Dragontamer on Darius, which Moxley transitioned into a Curbstomp for the pinfall victory. A keep-busy showcase for Moxley and the Death Riders, which also gave a solid little showcase for SkyFlight, who had some fun moments.
Moxley got on the mic afterwards to address Will Ospreay’s comments from earlier in the show. “If you want a big fat grudge match for the pay-per-view at Dynasty, you got it,” Moxley said. “Until then, don’t let your mouth get you in trouble.”
A graphic they showed on the broadcast didn’t put this as a title matchup. I’d be surprised if it stays that way.
In a pre-taped video package, The Young Bucks said that they still have their eyes on the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Speedball makes quick work of Rocky
Speedball Bailey, one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions, was in action against Rocky Romero next. Romero didn’t get an entrance for this one.
Bailey scored his Triangle Moonsault to the outside just a minute into the match. They tried for their spinning head kick in a corner of the ring, but Romero was able to dodge the move.
Romero paid the price for taunting mid-match, getting caught off guard by a wheel kick from Bailey. They landed their spinning kick in the corner upon second attempt, then Bailey put away Romero with a Moonsault Knee Drop out of the corner for the pinfall in just under three minutes.
Kenny Omega vs. MJF official for Dynasty
AEW World Champion MJF appeared in the next segment, coming to celebrate his recent win over Hangman Adam Page and discuss what’s next.
MJF called himself “The man who hanged The Hangman,” and gloated about how Page will never be able to challenge for the title again. He started to embellish the truth a little, calling his Texas Deathmatch win one of the easiest of his career.
After MJF got all of his catchphrases out, he was interrupted by his next challenger, Kenny Omega. Still in his ring attire, Omega came to the ring and went face-to-face with MJF. “Can I help you?” MJF asked.
“I just had a match. That begs the question: What’s your excuse?” Omega said.
Omega mocked MJF’s celebration, saying he was acting as if he just beat the best AEW talent of all time. He reflected on their 2023 meeting, stating that he lost back then because of the poor shape of his body back then, saying he was about 60 percent.
“This version of Kenny Omega that you see before you today? I would say, yeah, he’s pretty close to 100 percent. And yeah, I would go so far as to say he is probably better than you, and it’s okay if the fans know it, because I know that they do. But the most important part, Max, and I think it’s the part that scares you the most, it’s that you know it, you son of a bitch.”
Omega made it official that he wants to face MJF at Dynasty.
“The God vs. The Devil, you’re on,” MJF said. The champ accepted the challenge but blew off a handshake attempt from Omega, storming off the set. Omega closed out the encounter with his usual goodbye. Good little segment to make the bout official.
The latest – 9:34 p.m. ET: The Dogs overcome OC & Strong
Adam Copeland said in a backstage promo that he plans to end the careers of FTR someday. The tag champs appeared on-stage to respond to these comments.
The duo said that Copeland is living in the past. “This is FTR’s time. Your time has gone, your time has passed,” Cash Wheeler said. Dax Harwood called Cope & Cage a “nostalgia act.”
The duo of Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong were in action next, facing Clark Connors and David Finlay of The Dogs. FTR got into a bit of a scuffle on the ramp with Cassidy and Strong before the match.
Cassidy sent both Dogs out of the ring early on with a double-team hurricanrana. He tried for a tope to the outside but was caught and tossed into the guardrail. The heel duo had both Strong and Cassidy laid out at ringside as the show went to a break.
Strong got a hot tag after the show returned. He took on both Dogs at once, sending Finlay out of the ring with a backbreaker then wailing away with a series of chops to Connors. Strong sent Connors face-first to the mat with a slam then went for the pin, but Finlay broke it up.
Strong picked up Cassidy and tossed him at Connors for a DDT – this was a fun double-team move. Strong picked up Connors for what looked like a backbreaker attempt, but Finlay got into the ring and intercepted the move. Finlay and Connors scored a double-team spear on Strong.
Cassidy got back into the ring with a comeback attempt, but wasn’t successful. Connors dodged an Orange Punch then, along with Finlay, hit their Full Clip double-team spear out of the corner for the pinfall in 10 minutes.
