Our AEW Dynamite results for tonight feature Death Riders taking on Brodido and Mistico in trios action, Konosuke Takeshita defending the International Championship against Ricochet, Swerve Strickland battling Daniel Garcia, Will Ospreay squaring off against El Phantasmo, “Jungle” Jack Perry facing Zack Sabre Jr., the Young Bucks taking on TMDK, and more!
AEW Dynamite Card
- Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) vs. Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) & Místico
- DCMJF and Team Briscoe to speak
- Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Ricochet – AEW International Championship Match
- Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia
- Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo
- “Jungle” Jack Perry vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Harley Cameron vs. Marina Shafir – TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match
- Queen Aminata vs. Red Velvet – TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match
- Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito and Mikey Nicholls)
AEW Dynamite Results
Jon Moxley is giving the Death Riders a pep talk ahead of the opening match against Brodido and Mistico. Mox takes a step back to let his faction do their pre-match routine. Will Ospreay, who is standing nearby, is asked to join in.
The Death Riders then begin their pre-match ritual. By the time they’re done, Ospreay loses his balance from the dizziness and stumbles into a large storage container on the floor. Marina Shafir helps him back to his feet and walks away with a smile on her face as she heads off with Mox, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli.
Garcia and Ospreay grin at each other before Ospreay turns away from the camera, seemingly breaking character over what had just happened.
Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) vs. Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) & Místico
- The finish of the match saw Claudio Castagnoli strike Brody King with a belt behind the referee’s back, allowing Jon Moxley to capitalize and secure the victory with a roll-up.
Winners: Death Riders
Grade: B+
For a man his size, Brody King made this lucha libre spot look effortless with some assistance from Mox and Castagnoli. Sound strategy by the Death Riders, using a foreign object to steal the win from Brodido and Mistico. At least that’s better than letting Bandido score the winning pinfall over Jon Moxley. Now, it’ll be interesting to see who walks away with the AEW Continental Championship when Mox and Bandido clash this Sunday.
Where’s Mark Briscoe?
Renee Paquette is standing by with Team Briscoe and asks if they’re ready for the Steel Cage match at AEW Forbidden Door.
Darby Allin admits that he doesn’t feel ready, saying he’s still struggling to get over his AEW World Title loss. Roderick Strong then expresses his hatred for MJF and the Don Callis Family, stating that he’ll never forgive Friedman for what he did to his best friend, Adam Cole.
Orange Cassidy chimes in, saying he’s going to make sure everyone on his team has a backpack so they can carry whatever they want. He adds that Konosuke Takeshita will probably end up putting his International Championship in one of them.
Kyle O’Reilly wonders where Mark Briscoe is, but promises the AEW sickos that Briscoe will be there tonight.
Everyone eventually leaves except Cassidy, prompting Renee to ask if he’s okay. Cassidy nods but continues scanning the area for anything suspicious. His behavior causes Renee to grow concerned as well, and she quickly exits the scene.
Harley Cameron vs. Marina Shafir – TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match
- The finish of the match saw Harley Cameron counter Marina Shafir’s chokehold attempt into a roll-up, scoring the pinfall victory.
Winner: Harley Cameron
Grade: B+
Harley Cameron wrestling in a Supergirl cosplay after attending the Supergirl premiere with Willow Nightingale was a pretty creative marketing tactic. I also found it amusing that Marina Shafir lost via a counter pinfall just minutes after Jon Moxley pinned Brody King with one. Karma can work fast sometimes.
Mercedes Moné vs. Maya World AEW Forbidden Door Promo
A video package airs on AEW Dynamite hyping up the Women’s Owen Hart Cup final at Forbidden Door between Mercedes Moné and Maya World.
Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo
- The finish of the match saw Will Ospreay hit El Phantasmo with a Styles Clash–Hidden Blade combination to secure the victory.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Ospreay takes pictures with fans at ringside while making his way to the back but is stopped when he hears Swerve Strickland’s music hit.
Strickland looks over at the Owen Cup before locking eyes with his Forbidden Door opponent in a brief staredown. Ospreay climbs the barricade, gives Strickland a wink, and leaves. Swerve remains in the ring, waiting for his opponent for tonight, Daniel Garcia.
Grade: A-
The last time Ospreay and ELP met in singles action was at G1 Climax 33. While they weren’t able to recreate the same magic they had that night, possibly due to time constraints, this was still a solid match.
The brief interaction between Ospreay and Swerve Strickland also stood out, adding a strong layer of anticipation ahead of what should be a potential match-of-the-year contender this Sunday at Forbidden Door.
Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia
- The finish of the match saw Swerve Strickland hit Daniel Garcia with a Hidden Blade to secure the win.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Swerve Strickland launches a post-match assault and attempts to break Daniel Garcia’s arm, but Will Ospreay arrives to make the save. The two engage in a back-and-forth exchange until Ospreay gains the upper hand and sets Strickland up for a Hidden Blade. However, Prince Nana provides a distraction, allowing Strickland to connect with the House Call.
Strickland then attempts a Vertebreaker on Ospreay, but Daniel Garcia breaks it up, only to get hit with the Vertebreaker himself. Ospreay re-enters the ring with a steel chair, causing Strickland to retreat as ringside doctors check on Garcia.
Grade: A+
I liked this match better than Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo. The first House Call outside the ring looked brutal. Garcia sacrificing himself for Ospreay during the post-match assault adds emotional depth to the storyline.
New Ring Attire for Team DCMJF
Team DCMJF is standing by as Don Callis introduces the members of the team, starting with Jake Doyle. TNT Champion Kevin Knight is introduced next.
Callis then hypes up Kazuchika Okada as “the greatest wrestler of the last 5000 years.” Okada’s response is simply: “Bitch.”
Kyle Fletcher gives his own introduction, telling former team member Konosuke Takeshita that the moment they lock the steel cage door, he’s coming after him.
Before Callis can introduce Andrade, MJF cuts him off and begins a verbal assault on Mark Briscoe. MJF brings up how he hasn’t been able to kick out of the Jay Driller, then adds that last week on Dynamite, his team wasn’t on the same page. The camera pans to Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta, who are told to leave because they aren’t needed.
MJF then blames Andrade for the lack of cohesion last week. Don Callis finally unveils the official ring attire for Team DCMJ: a white T-shirt featuring a portrait of MJF and Callis shaking hands, both wearing only trunks and boots, with Callis looking jacked as hell. Kyle Fletcher immediately facepalms, while the rest of the group looks visibly unimpressed by the development.
“Jungle” Jack Perry vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- The finish of the match saw Zack Sabre Jr. force “Jungle” Jack Perry to submit.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Zack Sabre Jr. is looking down at Jack Perry when The Young Bucks’ music hits, as Matt and Nick Jackson make their way out for their tag team match against TMDK (Bad Dude Tito and Mikey Nicholls).
Grade: B+
Excalibur called it a “technical masterpiece” or a “technical masterclass” (I don’t remember exactly which) during commentary. Either way, it highlighted Zack Sabre Jr.’s technical brilliance against the former “Scapegoat.”
That said, this match arguably should’ve been booked as more of a squash. It would have made ZSJ look like a much more legitimate threat heading into his Forbidden Door clash with Kenny Omega, instead of giving Perry as much sustained offense as he got here.
Young Bucks vs. TMDK
- The finish of the match saw The Young Bucks hit Mikey Nicholls with the Meltzer Driver to secure the win.
Winners: Young Bucks
Zack Sabre Jr. returns to the ring to attack The Young Bucks. Bad Dude Tito and Mikey Nicholls join him in the assault, but Kenny Omega and Jack Perry arrive to make the save.
Omega and Zack exchange forearm strikes before Omega gains the upper hand and sets Zack up for a V-Trigger. However, TMDK pull Zack out of harm’s way.
Omega then cuts a promo on his Forbidden Door opponent, stating that his redemption begins with a win over Zack Sabre Jr. He also says fans will forget Zack after their match, just like they did last year.
Omega’s music hits again, but Zack grabs a mic and tells Omega to “try to stay out of hospital,” taking a pointed shot at The Cleaner’s health battles.
Grade: B-
This match was another example of Tony Khan bloating the AEW Dynamite card with matches that probably didn’t need to be on it in the first place.
It also felt like Zack Sabre Jr.’s one-liner toward Kenny Omega may not have been part of the intended script, or at least the production timing around Omega’s music cue seemed off, which made that moment come across a bit awkward on television.
Thekla vs. Starlight Kid Promo
A vignette airs on AEW Dynamite recapping Thekla’s recent assault on Stardom President Taro Okada.
Queen Aminata vs. Red Velvet – TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match
- The finish of the match saw Queen Aminata hit Red Velvet with Off With Her Head to secure the win.
Winner: Queen Aminata
Grade: B-
Tony Schiavone put over Red Velvet’s frog splash as impactful. However, from my angle, Velvet appeared to land on the mat first before making partial contact with her opponent. Aminata also looked like she was struggling to catch her breath after the spot. Hopefully, she is okay.
Cope and Cage Brawl with The Dogs
Renee Paquette is standing by with The Young Bucks and asks for their comments ahead of their interpromotional three-way tag team match at Forbidden Door.
While the Bucks are addressing the match, they get distracted by Cope and Cage walking down a flight of stairs while attacking The Dogs. The brawl briefly pauses as Cage and Cope ask the Bucks if they’re good. The Bucks nod, and Cage and Cope resume their fight with The Dogs.
Clark Connors uses a crew member as a shield. Cope moves her out of the way, but the distraction proves useful for The Dogs, who blind the AEW World Tag Team Champions with hairspray before choking them out with production cables.
Connors and Finlay then mock their Forbidden Door opponents with their signature three-second pose as the segment comes to a close.
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Ricochet – AEW International Championship Match
- The finish of the match saw Konosuke Takeshita hit Ricochet with the Raging Fire to secure the win.
Winner and still AEW International Champion: Konosuke Takeshita
Konosuke Takeshita is congratulated by Mark Briscoe on his way to the back. Briscoe then gets in the ring and hypes up the 12-man steel cage match at Forbidden Door. He reflects on the recent Blood and Guts match featuring The Conglomeration and the Death Riders, saying it was all about the thrill of the battle that night, but at Forbidden Door the stakes are much higher.
Briscoe then calls out MJF, saying they are nothing alike. He refers to Friedman as a “soft, entitled baby boy” while “I’m a man.” He references his win over MJF and vows to beat the AEW World Champion again at Forbidden Door. Briscoe claims the Don Callis Family doesn’t care about MJF and would “piss on the champion to put out the flames” if he catches fire.
Don Callis shows up to create a distraction, allowing MJF to attack Briscoe from behind. Briscoe fights back and sets MJF up for a Jay Driller, but Kyle Fletcher arrives and hits Briscoe with a snap suplex. Takeshita appears and takes Fletcher out with Raging Fire, only for Okada to blindside Takeshita with The Rainmaker.
Kyle O’Reilly appears and traps Okada in a submission hold. Kevin Knight arrives and takes O’Reilly out with a springboard clothesline. Darby Allin shows up and hits a Scorpion Death Drop on Knight before setting him up for a Coffin Drop. Jake Doyle arrives to break it up but is eventually taken out by Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong.
Cassidy gets kicked in the groin by Friedman, but Briscoe catches MJF again and sets him up for a Jay Driller. Andrade arrives and takes out Briscoe with a lariat, saving MJF, who tells Andrade to look him in the eyes. A heated confrontation takes place between the two as Callis tries to play peacemaker.
Andrade grabs Briscoe for MJF to hit him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring, but Briscoe evades, causing MJF to accidentally hit Andrade instead. As MJF yells “you moron” at a downed Andrade, Mark Briscoe kicks him in the abdomen and plants him with a Jay Driller.
The show ends with Jake Doyle dragging MJF to the back as Briscoe lifts the AEW World Title belt to celebrate with his team.
Grade: A+
Incredible way to close out AEW Dynamite. The Takeshita vs. Ricochet match was great, but the highlight was definitely the all-out brawl between Team DCMJF and Team Briscoe.
I think Andrade is going to end up costing his team the match at Forbidden Door, eventually setting up a title match with MJF. That does feel like the direction they’re leaning.
As for timing, MJF vs. Andrade fits best in the build towards AEW All In, while MJF vs. Ospreay for the AEW World Championship should be saved for All In’s main event. If they go that route, Ospreay winning the world title in front of his home crowd would be a major payoff moment.
Overall Grade: B+
I wanted to grade this episode of AEW Dynamite a B-, but the main event match and the post-match brawl made me rethink my initial reaction. Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia is, in my opinion, the match of the night because it helped continue Ospreay’s storyline with the Death Riders while maintaining Strickland’s persona as the “most dangerous man in AEW.”
MJF’s backstage segment with the Don Callis Family was well done, especially the ring attire reveal. Thekla can build up a feud with her promo skills alone; she’s brilliant on the mic.
I’ve already mentioned what I didn’t like about tonight’s show: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jack Perry and The Young Bucks vs. TMDK. The two women’s matches on the card were solid. I’m really digging Queen Aminata’s finisher.
That’s it for tonight, and don’t forget to tune into WrestleZone this Sunday for our live coverage of AEW Forbidden Door.
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How would you rate tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite on a scale of 1 to 10? Let us know in the comments!
