‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (May 21st 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Chicago, Illinois’ NOW Arena. Let’s get straight into the review!
Match #1: Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Swerve Strickland def. Jon Moxley & the Young Bucks
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
It’s time for a brouhaha! Samoa Joe and Jon Moxley started things off, hammering each other smack dab in the middle of the ring. Each then went to the corner, where Powerhouse Hobbs and Matthew Jackson tagged in, as Hobbs laid it in against Jackson. Swerve and Nicholas Jackson then got in on the action, with Jackson falling prey to a massive suplex from Swerve. As the action spilled out of the ring, Moxley and the Bucks seized the advantage, with Matthew and Nicholas delivering a superkick party right on the chin of Joe. He shook it off after a few moments, however, and took out all three opponents with a dive to the outside. Back in the ring, the Bucks and Mox went to work on the injured left knee of Powerhouse Hobbs. It probably would have been a good idea to keep at that strategy. Instead, though, Nicholas Jackson woke Hobbs up by hitting him with repeated open-hand slaps, giving Hobbs a chance to make the tag to Swerve. The former AEW World Champion momentarily had the upper-hand, but when he and Nicholas went to the outside, the Bucks and Mox were able to turn the tables. Mox took out Joe and Hobbs on the apron, allowing the Bucks and Mox to triple-team Swerve in the corner. Risky Business from the Bucks got a near-fall with a two-count on Swerve. Mox continued to control Swerve with a cinched-in full Nelson. Swerve escaped and leveled Mox with a headbutt to finally make the tag to Joe, who came in with fists and feet flying. The Opps and Swerve capitalized on the shift in momentum, culminating in a rare frog splash off the top from Hobbs. Mox took Joe out with a Paradigm Shift, but Swerve immediately countered with a stomp to the back of Mox’s head, then stomps for the Bucks for good measure. Joe sent Mox to the outside, but the Bucks recovered to take out Joe with another superkick party. The Bucks then attempted to hit the EVP Trigger on Swerve, but he ducked out of the way and scored a roll-up for the three count and the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Ricochet def. Anthony Bowens
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bowens got the upper-hand early, rocking Ricochet around the ring with hammer blows and open-hand slaps. But all it took was Ricochet ramming Bowens into the ring post from the apron for the Bald One to take control – until Bowens was able to duck under a kick from Ricochet and rebound off the ropes for a big Fame-Asser. With both men having taken their fair share of damage, they squared off in the middle of the ring, exchanging blow after blow, with Bowens eventually scoring a two-count. Ricochet lined Bowens up for a Spirit Gun, but the 5-Tool Player ducked and countered with The Arrival. He followed up with the Mollywhop, but Ricochet rolled out of the ring and sneakily grabbed his golden scissors, jamming them into Bowens’ forehead, which gave Ricochet the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Mina Shirakawa def. Julia Hart
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Collar-and-elbow tie up to kick this one off, followed by both women trying to run the other off the ropes into a series of counters. Hart gained wrist control and went to walk the top rope, only for Shirakawa to send her tumbling to the mat. Shirakawa then showed the younger wrestler how it’s done, going to the top herself and planting a knee right into Hart’s chest. Shirakawa then made her way to the commentary desk and gestured toward her waist in Storm’s direction, making it clear that the AEW Women’s World Championship is on her mind. That gave Hart a window to ambush Shirakawa, rolling her back into the ring, mounting her and slamming her skull into the canvas. After a near-fall, Hart locked in a reverse chin-lock on Shirakawa, landing a jawbreaker when she attempted to counter. A kick to the gut by Shirakawa stopped Hart in her tracks, followed by a rolling elbow and a huge clothesline. A spinning back fist left Hart vulnerable to a crucifix bomb by Shirakawa, but Hart kicked out at two. Hart countered a Glorious Driver but missed on her swan dive moonsault. Shirakawa immediately attacked Hart’s knee and went for an in-step figure four, but Hart rolled Shirakawa up for a two-count. Hart managed to fend off another Glorious Driver and roll Shirakawa up for another two-count, but Shirakawa reversed the roll-up into a crucifix pin of her own for the win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This episode of AEW Dynamite delivered a fast-paced and emotionally charged go-home show leading into Double or Nothing. From start to finish, the episode was packed with explosive action, surprise developments, and well-executed promos that heightened anticipation for the upcoming pay-per-view. The night opened with a tense verbal exchange between Will Ospreay and Adam Page, setting a dramatic tone for their Owen Hart Cup final. The main event featured a hard-hitting trios match, with Shane “Swerve” Strickland, Samoa Joe, and Powerhouse Hobbs defeating Jon Moxley and the Young Bucks. The match ended in chaos as factions collided, including the surprise involvement of Kenny Omega and Katsuyori Shibata, igniting the crowd. In a pivotal moment, MJF officially aligned himself with the Hurt Syndicate during a heated contract signing, only for the segment to be interrupted by Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara. The women’s division saw rising tension as Mercedes Moné and Jamie Hayter’s rivalry turned physical, while Mina Shirakawa scored a statement win over Julia Hart. Overall, this week’s Dynamite masterfully blended in-ring intensity with compelling storytelling, I just wish we got a little more wrestling on this two-hour show!
