‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 30th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Kazuchika Okada, Ricochet, & The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) def. Kenny Omega, Mark Briscoe, Speedball Mike Bailey, & Kevin Knight
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Okada backed off from a collar and elbow tie-up from Omega and tagged out. The other team swarmed Omega. Nicholas Jackson thumbed Omega in the eye. Matthew Jackson used a water pump arm breaker on Omega while taunting the crowd. Omega turned it around and forced Ricochet’s arm into Matthew’s arm breaker. Bailey and Knight worked in tandem on Ricochet. Briscoe clobbered Nicholas Jackson with a pump kick. Briscoe and Bailey served up some redneck Kungfu and taekwondo to the Bucks. Bailey used a knee strike on Ricochet to counter a brain buster attempt. Okada tagged in and tried for a brain buster, but Briscoe and Kevin Knight ran in to bring Bailey down to his feet gently. Kevin Knight blasted Nicholas with lariats. The Jet brought down Nick with a hurracanrana for a near fall. Matthew cracked Omega with a superkick. Matt superkicked Bailey! Ricochet and Nick used tandem offense on Bailey and Omega. Matthew spiked Kenny with a DDT! Omega popped up and dunked Ricochet headfirst onto the mat. Briscoe planted Okada with a fisherman buster for a near fall. Okada fired back with a neck breaker to Briscoe. Okada dropped an elbow from the top rope, feeling confident. Knight back flipped and kicked both Bucks. Okada blasted Briscoe with a John Woo style dropkick. Okada and Omega had a stare down in the center of the ring and then began to tried strikes, picking up right where they left off in Osaka. Okada got drilled by Omega’s snap dragon. Okada dropkicked Omega’s attempt at a V Trigger. Briscoe ducked a BTE Trigger. Briscoe planted Okada with the Jay Driller but Ricochet jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Omega did his Terminator dive on the opposition. Briscoe hit a Death Valley Driver on Okada. Ricochet pushed Mark off the top rope. Okada connected with the rainmaker lariat and pinned Briscoe.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: The Opps (Shibata, Samoa Joe & Powerhouse Hobbs) def. Rhett Titus, Myles Hawkins, and Nick Commoroto
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe jabbed away at Titus. Shibata threw Titus into the corner and Nick grabbed a tag. Shibata booted Nick in the mush. Hobbs steamrolled Myles with a powerslam. Hobbs decimated Hawkins with a spinebuster and grabbed a decisive victory. After the match, the Death Riders blindsided The Opps! Samoa Joe took down Moxley and applied a rear naked choke. Claudio slammed Shibata onto a steel chair, the same way they injured HOOK several weeks ago.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Match – Toni Storm def. Miyu Yamashita
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toni connected with a Thesz Press and then a snap suplex on the challenger. Miyu meant business, though, and kicked Toni in the face. Toni intercepted another kick. Miyu dodged the hip attack and walloped Toni with kicks to the buttocks. Both competitors traded strikes in the center of the ring. Miyu absorbed the contact and dished out a roundhouse to the back of the champ’s head. Toni nailed Miyu with a release German Suplex. Miyu connected with the skull kick for a near fall! Toni planted Miyu with the Sky High. Storm plowed into Miyu with the hip attack and finished her off with the Storm Zero, scoring the 1-2-3!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: ROH World TV Championship Match – Nick Wayne def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal chopped at Nick Wayne. Lethal used an arm drag to take down Nick. Lethal dropkicked Nick, who was still down on the mat. Lethal walloped Nick with a tope. Nick fired back with a hurracanrana on the floor. Jay nailed Nick with the Lethal Combination for a near fall. Lethal dropped a big elbow but Wayne baited him in and cradled Lethal for a two-count. Wayne school boy’ed Lethal for another near fall. Nick stunned Lethal with a roundhouse kick and then pinned him after an inverted fisherman buster!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Semifinal Match – “Hangman” Adam Page def. Kyle Fletcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Page knocked Fletcher off his feet with a chop. Page pounded Fletcher in the corner with more clubbing blows. Hangman trucked Fletcher with a running lariat outside the ring. Back in the ring, Page used a sliding lariat. Page drilled Kyle with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Page threw Kyle with a fallaway slam. Page knocked down Kyle with a jumping lariat. Page ate a thrust kick from Kyle on the apron. Fletcher spiked Page with a brain buster on the apron! Page impaled Fletcher with a tombstone on the floor. Page delivered a thunderous superplex to Kyle Fletcher. Kyle fired back with a half and half suplex. Page power bombed Fletcher but Fletcher kicked out at 2.999! Page nailed Kyle with the Dead Eye but Fletcher survived the pin fall attempt. Fletcher raised his knees to counter a moonsault. Fletcher closed the distance on a Buckshot attempt. Page caught Fletcher with a DeadEye on the apron! Page connected with a moonsault to Kyle on the arena floor. Kyle hit a low blow as the ref’s back was turned, and followed up with a brain buster on Page, but somehow Page kicked out. Page battered Fletcher with a buckshot lariat, and then a second buckshot, and pinned Fletcher!
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s Dynamite delivered an action-packed show filled with standout matches and strong storyline progression. The opener was a wild All-Star 8-Man Tag Match, where Ricochet teamed up with The Elite (Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks) to defeat Kenny Omega, Kevin Knight, Speedball Mike Bailey, and Mark Briscoe. Okada scoring the pin on Briscoe added an extra layer of intrigue heading into Double or Nothing. “Hangman” Adam Page battled Kyle Fletcher in a physical Owen Hart Tournament semi-final match, ultimately advancing to the finals against Will Ospreay. Meanwhile, “Timeless” Toni Storm retained her AEW Women’s World Championship against Miyu Yamashita, but the real fireworks came post-match with Mercedes Moné’s challenge and Jamie Hayter’s shocking attack. Elsewhere, Samoa Joe, Will Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata took a victory but faced a brutal ambush from the Death Riders, setting up Joe vs. Jon Moxley inside a steel cage. Nick Wayne also impressed by successfully defending his ROH World Television Title against Jay Lethal. Overall, this episode of Dynamite expertly balanced wrestling with gripping storytelling, creating strong momentum as AEW heads toward Double or Nothing.