‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 7th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Detroit, Michigan’s Masonic Temple Theatre. Let’s get straight into the review!
Match #1: 4-Way AEW Women’s Championship Eliminator – Winner: Toni Storm
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
What a match this was! Anna Jay went right after Penelope Ford, while Timeless Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa observed to start, then tied each other up as the other two exited the ring. From there, Ford and Rosa had a bit of a tete-a-tete, with Ford hitting a dropkick on a downed Rosa leaning against the bottom rope. Anna Jay rushed in to break up the subsequent pin, only for Toni Storm to return the favor when Jay attempted a pin on Ford. The AEW Women’s Champion then hit a bridging suplex on Jay for a potential pinfall, only for Ford to hit a low blow on Storm, sending the action spilling out of the ring once more – a situation Rosa took advantage of with a high-risk move off the top rope. The thunderous action only escalated from there, as Rosa landed a stiff DDT to the floor, only for Ford to hit a top-rope dive of herself to take out all three other competitors. Back in the ring, Storm hit a splash in the corner on both Jay and Ford stacked up in the corner, followed by a hip attack, followed by Storm getting down on hands and knees to set Rosa up for some tandem offense on the downed women. And then we saw Megan Bayne. After all, this 4-Way Eliminator was No DQ, right? The Megasus laid waste to Rosa and Storm, as Anna Jay stepped up. That was probably a mistake, as Bayne destroyed Jay, finishing her off with a power bomb – only for Harley to even the odds by running in with a pipe to neutralize Bayne. All the while, Ford was able to tie Jay up in a potential submission. But before Anna could tap, Timeless Toni Storm broke things up and seized the moment to lock in the TCM Chicken Wing on Ford for the win to remain 12-0 in Title Eliminator matches in her career. After the bell, Rosa and Storm embraced.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Nick Wayne def. Rhino
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Earlier in the broadcast, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone shared that we would see The Patriarchy later in the evening, and that all we knew was that Wayne would put his ROH World TV Title on the line against someone “from Christian Cage’s past.” That man? Well, it’d be more apt to call him a MAN BEAST. It’s Rhino! Rhino took an early advantage, but after gathering himself on the outside, Wayne was able to even things out back in the ring. That reprieve was short-lived, however, as Rhino delivered a bounty of punishment upon Wayne from post to post. All it takes is a moment in professional wrestling, though. And a missed Gore in the corner by Rhino left the legend open for a Killswitch by Wayne for the pin. Just like last week, Christian Cage seemed to insist on putting the ROH World TV Title around Wayne’s waist. But at the last minute, Cage pulled back, folding up the title and throwing it to the ground.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: All-Star Trios Match – Ricochet and The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. Mark Briscoe, Speedball Mike Bailey and Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The in-ring action started with Swerve and Ricochet standing across from each other. Ricochet tried to make a change there, but the Young Bucks were having none of it. That left Ricochet to try to fend off Strickland – a fool’s errand, as the former AEW World Champion dominated his reviled opponent at first. Once Ricochet was able to direct the action toward his partners’ corner, though, the combined force of the Bucks and the Bald claimed the advantage. Unfortunately for them, their animal instinct to pose for the camera backfired, as it gave Speedball, Briscoe and Swerve time to recover. The Bucks and Ricochet went to the outside to regroup, before Matthew and Nicholas Jackson sent their teammate to the wolves. It took a minute to recover, but the Bucks and Ricochet managed to turn the tables, with Nicholas Jackson hitting an incredible splash to the outside right as Ricochet landed a 450 on the prone Speedball. The chaos allowed Ricochet to isolate Briscoe back in the ring, taking control of the action – until Briscoe hit a fortuitous enziguri that gave him just enough daylight to make the tag to Speedball. The Bucks tried some tandem distractions on Speedball, only for Bailey to send the two crashing into one another. And that was reason enough for even MORE chaos, as all six men collided in a cacophony of bodies and blows, featuring a bit of mirror action between Briscoe, the Bucks and Swerve. As always, though, this was Swerve’s house. Strickland loaded up both Bucks for a double suplex, then took out Ricochet for good measure. That set up Briscoe and Bailey to line up a Death Valley Driver and a Frog Bomb for the two-count before the pin was interrupted. In the ensuing madness, though, Matthew Jackson was able to sneak in and roll up Swerve for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: AEW Continental Championship Eliminator – Okada def. Kevin Knight
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Were you excited for this incredible matchup between an all-time icon in Okada and a fast rising star in The Jet? Well, the one and only RUSH had a different thought. After calling out Knight earlier in the night, Rush attacked Knight during his entrance, laying waste to the high-flyer. Speedball Mike Bailey ran out to make the save. And despite the damage, Knight insisted that he was still prepared to have the match. And so, referee Aubrey Edwards signaled for the bell to ring, and we were underway! Okada scored an almost-instant near-fall, but Knight went not go softly into the good night. He fought back, despite the obvious pain in his neck and arm, and was even able to seize the advantage over Okada, battering him into the corner before a near-fall. Yet all that pre-match abuse loomed large, with Okada leveling Knight with just a few targeted blows – before the Rainmaker flipped the bird to the capacity crowd in Detroit. Okada hit an uppercut on Knight and went to toss him into the ropes, but the Jet reversed and caught Okada with an impressive dropkick. Ultimate, however, the Continental Champion was too much for a beaten-down Knight. A boot to the face, an uppercut, a dropkick and, finally, the Rainmaker put Knight away. After the match, Okada picked Knight up for another Rainmaker, and would have delivered another had Speedball not run out once again to chase off Okada.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Samoa Joe def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
This one promised violence from the opening bell – and it delivered. The action spilled to the outside of the ring almost immediately, with Claudio showing off his strength by slamming Joe to the ground. But when he tried to make the most of the advantage, Joe was able to counter with an uranage that rocked his Death Rider opponent. Back in the ring, the two behemoths traded chops, with Joe getting the better of the exchange and following up with an enziguri to Claudio in the corner. Castagnoli managed to get back to his feet and take a temporary edge over Joe, as the two continued to rain punishing blows upon each other. Things slowed down a bit from there. Claudio locked in a slightly modified cobra clutch that clearly drained Joe, although Taz was quick to point out that with Joe’s massive neck, he would have gone for a straight rear-naked choke – as the bigger someone’s neck, the easier it is to choke them out, Taz said. Joe struggled to his feet, with Claudio keeping the hold cinched in until Joe was able to elbow his way out. And while Claudio kept the upper hand for just a moment, all it took was Joe to lock in the Coquina clutch to score the victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Dynamite was one of the strongest episodes in recent memory — a fast-paced, emotionally charged night that reminded fans why Dynamite is still must-see wrestling TV. The main event between Samoa Joe and Claudio Castagnoli was brutal in the best way, with Joe looking absolutely unstoppable. Claudio’s loss added a brilliant, almost unsettling layer of tension heading into Joe and Moxley’s steel cage match. It’s refreshing to see a storyline embrace such uncomfortable moral grey areas.
Hangman Adam Page’s opening promo was another highlight. Hangman’s blend of vulnerability and pride felt incredibly real, and his confrontation with Will Ospreay had real electricity, exactly the kind of intensity that’s been missing from some recent AEW feuds. The Don Callis Family’s interruption could have easily felt like overbooking, but instead it raised the stakes without derailing the moment.
Toni Storm’s four-way victory didn’t just solidify her as a threat, it reminded everyone how much better the women’s division looks when it’s treated with urgency. Meanwhile, the chaotic six-man tag (Ricochet and the Bucks vs. Strickland, Briscoe, and Bailey) was a show-stealer: fast, flashy, and full of jaw-dropping sequences without feeling empty. Nick Wayne’s ROH TV Title defence and Okada’s win over Kevin Knight were solid, if slightly less memorable, though Okada being attacked by Rush could lead to something great if booked right.
Overall, this week’s show delivered a night of emotional highs, vicious brawls, and smart build-ups. Not every match was perfect, but the episode’s energy and momentum never flagged. AEW feels laser-focused right now, and it’s thrilling to watch.
