‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jan 7th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Tulsa, Oklahoma and saw the return of JR to commentary! Also, AEW’s official recaps are getting rather long, so we’ll be making them more concise where we can to save your eyes! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: AEW Continental Championship Eliminator – Jon Moxley def. Shelton Benjamin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jon Moxley opened with a slap to Shelton Benjamin’s handshake, only to be dominated early as Benjamin tossed him around and nearly scored a knockout. Benjamin controlled with German suplexes and heavy strikes, cutting off Moxley’s brief comebacks and even taking the fight into the crowd, where he flew off the barricade to wipe Moxley out. Back in the ring, Moxley rallied after Benjamin crashed into the steps, but both men leveled each other with clotheslines. Benjamin stunned the crowd by sprinting up the ropes to throw Moxley from the top, then resumed the assault until Moxley answered with an eye gouge and a desperation lariat. Benjamin unleashed a barrage of German suplexes, yet Moxley refused to stay down, countering with a cutter after surviving a kick to the head. Near the end, Benjamin scored with a powerbomb, leg trap, and Pay Dirt, but Moxley kept kicking out. Both traded near-falls, with Moxley hitting a Paradigm Shift that still wasn’t enough. In the final seconds, Benjamin locked in a triangle choke, but Moxley powered to his feet and rolled through for a last-gasp pin, stealing the win with less than five seconds remaining.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: “Jungle” Jack Perry & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. The Demand (Ricochet, Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With JetSpeed taken out earlier, Perry found new partners in the returning Young Bucks, who arrived in full Superkick Party mode. The trio stormed the ring and immediately overwhelmed Ricochet, Liona, and Kaun, spilling the action to the floor with dives, dropkicks, and a moonsault from Perry. Ricochet bore the brunt of the early assault, isolated in the corner and battered by triple-team offense, though GOA repeatedly broke up pin attempts. Momentum shifted when Perry was dragged around ringside and dumped into the timekeeper’s area, allowing The Demand to take control. After enduring the heat, Perry finally connected with a desperation lariat and tagged in Nick, who cleaned house alongside Matt with superkicks, dives, and a flurry of double-team attacks. A destroyer, powerbomb-stomp combo, and Perry’s moonsault still weren’t enough to keep Ricochet down. GOA roared back with a triple Samoan drop and a near-fall off a superplex, but Perry escaped Vertigo and countered with a German suplex. A chaotic closing stretch saw multiple saves, headbutts, and superkicks before Perry countered again, setting up the finish. With Ricochet on Matt’s shoulders, Perry soared for a Doomsday Device, the Bucks followed it with a BTE Trigger, then Perry sealed the win with a running knee for the pinfall victory.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Bandido def. Sammy Guevara
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Guevara took a brief advantage before Bandido forced Guevara to the outside to avoid further damage. Bandido sent Guevara back to the outside and hit a kick from the apron. Guevara spat something into the eye of Bandido and followed with a DDT from the steel steps. Guevara almost taunted Bandido too much instead of taking advantage of the damage he already did on the outside, which is why Bandido was able to battle back with a clothesline in the corner, followed by a jumping heel kick. He hit a tornillo and then lifted Guevara with one hand for a powerful press slam! Bandido pump-kicked Guevara to the floor and glided over the top with a huge dive to Guevara! Guevara avoided Bandido, and then monkey-flipped Bandido to the outside. Guevara scaled the ropes and hit a shooting star press onto Bandido on the floor! Guevara is bleeding from the nose, but is fired up! Bandido reversed two GTH attempts and tried a 21 Plex, but Guervara turned that into a cutter! Bandido kicked out at two! Bandido came back with a cutter and went for the 21 Plex, but Guevara landed on his feet and flipped off Bandido! He hit a flying knee, struck and dumped Bandido on his head, but Bandido was able to kick out again. Guevara took too much time talking trash, so Bandido blocked his kick attempt and nailed Guevara with a knee of his own before a 21 Plex to get the pinfall.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: “Timeless” Toni Storm def. Marina Shafir (DQ)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shafir worked multiple submissions from the jump, although Storm never let her get into anything for very long. Storm knocked Shafir to the apron and hit a running hip attack to send Shafir to the floor. After dragging Shafir around the ring, Storm threw her back in and stopped to yell at Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta. Shafir used her legs to drag Storm back in by her head, but Storm reversed it into a pin attempt. Shafir picked up Storm and dropped her with a uranage. Shafir kept the advantage for a few minutes and kept the heat on by putting a headscissors on Storm over the ropes, followed by a kick to the head. Shafir stacked Storm for a two-count and then mockingly danced Storm around the ring before throwing her to the mat. Shafir ripcorded Storm into multiple strikes to the back and head before Storm came flying out of the corner with a big boot. Storm fired up for a hip attack, but Shafir broke it up with a big boot of her own. Storm came back with an up kick and used The Big Package, but Yuta pulled out the referee, and he called for the disqualification!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Lights Out – “Hangman” Adam Page & Swerve Strickland def. The Opps (HOOK & Powerhouse Hobbs)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
In this unsanctioned chaos, with the referee only there to call the finish, the match exploded immediately under flickering lights. Hobbs protected HOOK early, but Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland quickly turned the tide with moonsaults, apron slams, and a chain-assisted assault. HOOK and Hobbs isolated Page, putting him through a table, but Page fought back in vicious fashion, introducing chairs, a staple gun, and even drywall to brutalise both opponents. The fight spilled outside with cinder blocks, chair shots, and near-disasters, including Hobbs power-slamming Swerve onto the blocks before Page broke up the pin. Interference followed as The Opps Dojo stormed in, weapons in hand, only for Prince Nana’s hot-coffee distraction to shift momentum again. After a wild exchange that saw Swerve wipe out the dojo and Page and Swerve combine with a Deadeye and stomp onto the cinder blocks, the match reached its chaotic climax. HOOK re-entered, briefly threatening with REDRUM, but Page countered with chain-assisted strikes. A House Call from Swerve and a Buckshot Lariat from Page left HOOK helpless, and with Page hanging him over the ropes by the chain, HOOK was forced to tap out.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Jake Doyle (formerly known as Jake Something) made his AEW debut.
- Andrade returned to AEW television after his no-compete contract issues (which are seemingly now sorted).
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s Dynamite was a reminder of how effortlessly AEW can string together a top-to-bottom entertaining show when the focus is on in-ring quality and meaningful chaos. Moxley vs. Shelton Benjamin was a superb opener that felt both old-school physical and modern main-event intense, while the Bucks’ return alongside Jack Perry delivered the kind of breathless trios madness Dynamite does best. Bandido vs. Guevara was another absolute banger, full of athletic insanity and crisp storytelling. The only real dip came with the Toni Storm/Shafir DQ, which felt more like angle progression than a match. The Lights Out main event was wild, brutal, and suitably unhinged without completely losing the plot. Add in Andrade’s return and Jake Doyle’s debut, and this was a strong, confident episode that played to AEW’s strengths. A very easy recommendation.
