‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Aug 6th 2025)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from Cleveland, Ohio. Let’s get straight into the review!

Match #1: Jon Moxley def. Speedball Mike Bailey

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

In an explosive singles contest on AEW Dynamite, Jon Moxley faced off against Speedball Mike Bailey in a hard-hitting match. The bout began intensely, with Bailey delivering precise strikes and a swift dropkick that sent Moxley reeling. Capitalizing on his momentum, Bailey executed an impressive backflip knee drop, stunning Moxley at ringside. However, Moxley quickly regained control, wrenching Bailey’s finger gruesomely and delivering a powerful Avalanche Butterfly Suplex from the top rope. Bailey mounted a spirited comeback, hitting Moxley with a pinpoint missile dropkick and a stunning Shooting Star Press for a close two-count. Displaying his adept submission skills, Bailey transitioned smoothly into a triangle choke and a tight Juji Gatame cross armbreaker, putting Moxley in significant jeopardy. Amid the chaos, Darby Allin appeared in the crowd and ambushed Wheeler Yuta, incapacitating him and dragging him off, which drew Moxley’s attention momentarily. Despite this distraction, Moxley managed to counter Bailey’s offensive flurry with a devastating Death Rider, planting Bailey directly onto the crown of his head for the decisive pinfall victory.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: Forbidden Door TBS Championship 4-Way Qualifier – Alex Windsor def. Queen Aminata, Billie Starkz and Skye Blue

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Up next, Queen Aminata, Billie Starkz, Skye Blue, and Alex Windsor clashed in a high-stakes Forbidden Door TBS Title 4-Way Qualifier match. The action immediately intensified, with Aminata showcasing her powerful reach advantage. The match quickly broke down into rapid exchanges and tandem offense, with Skye Blue executing a precise neckbreaker on Windsor on the apron, only for Windsor to retaliate with a cannonball senton off the apron, wiping out Skye. Billie Starkz surprised everyone by landing a dramatic Senton Atomico onto the competitors outside. Back in the ring, Windsor nailed a Blue Thunder Bomb, nearly securing a pinfall before Starkz broke it up. Windsor then applied a Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring, only to have Aminata disrupt it with targeted kicks. The match escalated further as all four competitors exchanged strikes, headbutts, and dynamic moves, leaving them momentarily downed. In a pivotal moment, Skye Blue delivered a breathtaking Avalanche Sunset Flip Powerbomb on Windsor, nearly clinching victory. Aminata responded aggressively, executing an Emerald Flowsion on Skye through a chair at ringside. Inside the ring, after a chaotic sequence and interference from Athena, Alex Windsor swiftly countered Billie Starkz’s attack, securing the victory with a clever inside cradle.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #3: AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament Semifinal – Brodido (Brody King and Bandido) def. The Young Bucks

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

In a thrilling AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament match on Dynamite, Brodido took on The Young Bucks, who faced several humorous mishaps during their entrance. The Bucks’ planned entrance was marred by the entrance screen malfunctioning, forcing them to awkwardly crawl beneath it. Further complications arose when ring announcer Justin Roberts read a sarcastic note from the Bucks verbatim, and their pyro consisted of a single audible explosion followed by one lone bottle rocket, all set amusingly to ice cream truck music. Once the action commenced, Brody King quickly asserted dominance with his imposing physicality, knocking the Bucks to the floor. Bandido capitalized, executing a top rope moonsault assisted by King, wiping out both opponents at ringside. The match saw intense back-and-forth action after the commercial break, highlighted by Nick Jackson’s enzuigiri and a well-executed Risky Business attempt on Brody King, which King impressively kicked out of. Bandido displayed remarkable resilience with a military press, but was countered by Matt Jackson’s slingshot X-Factor. Matt continued the offense with a Senton Atomico, but King intervened just in time to break up the pin. Both teams displayed outstanding teamwork, with the Bucks delivering multiple Superkicks and a TK Driver, only for King to narrowly break up the pin. Brody King retaliated forcefully with a brutal Death Valley Driver on the apron, followed by a chaotic exchange at ringside. The match concluded dramatically when Bandido followed up a 21-Plex and a near-fall by executing the devastating assisted flip that has become Brodido’s calling card as a finishing maneuver, allowing King and Bandido to secure the victory.

My Score: 4.5 out of 5

Match #4: Grudge Match Main Event – MJF def. Mark Briscoe

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

In an intense AEW Dynamite main event grudge match, Mark Briscoe faced off against MJF. The match immediately intensified, with Briscoe aggressively landing early jabs and underhooks, countered by MJF with a bite to Briscoe’s forehead. MJF attempted multiple evasions, once even retreating through the crowd, but Briscoe persisted, landing heavy blows and utilizing the environment, notably executing a step-up blockbuster off a chair. After a commercial break, MJF maintained control using underhanded tactics, including biting, eye rakes, and choking. Briscoe rallied back impressively with significant moves including a corkscrew elbow, Stinger splash, belly-to-belly suplex, and a Nestea plunge to the outside. Despite his injured ribs, Briscoe finally connected with his Froggy Bow, but MJF barely managed to kick out. In a climactic sequence, Briscoe attempted another Froggy Bow through a table outside the ring. However, MJF evaded at the last second, sending Briscoe crashing through the table. Exploiting this opportunity, Friedman executed his signature Heatseeker. Despite Briscoe placing his foot on the ropes, the referee missed it, resulting in MJF controversially winning the match by pinfall.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 4/5

This week’s Dynamite delivered one of the company’s strongest episodes of the year, blending top-tier in-ring action with meaningful storyline progression as the road to Forbidden Door heats up. The clear match of the night, and arguably one of the best TV tag bouts of 2025, was the AEW Tag Title Eliminator semifinal between Brodido and The Young Bucks. Brody King’s brute force and Bandido’s aerial brilliance made for a compelling contrast to the Bucks’ slick, coordinated chaos. The pace never let up, and the crowd was locked in from the opening bell to the final pinfall. Brodido’s win didn’t just shake up the tag division – it cemented them as a top-tier team with serious momentum.

Elsewhere, Jon Moxley battled “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a physical opener that perfectly set the tone. Their contrasting styles meshed surprisingly well, with Bailey’s striking game keeping Moxley off balance before Mox dug deep and gutted out the win. In women’s action, Alex Windsor outlasted Queen Aminata, Billie Starkz, and Skye Blue in a fast-paced four-way to earn a title shot at the upcoming pay-per-view. Her post-match staredown with the returning Mercedes Moné added an extra layer of hype. The night ended on a high note with an emotional and violent grudge match between MJF and Mark Briscoe. Fueled by personal animosity, the bout was less about finesse and more about heart, aggression, and character-driven storytelling. MJF’s win was dominant (and sneaky, as per most of MJF’s wins), but Briscoe’s defiance added grit and depth to the rivalry.

Top to bottom, this was a Dynamite episode that felt like it mattered. Every segment had a purpose, every match delivered in its own way, and the London pay-per-view now feels even more unmissable. AEW is firing on all cylinders, and this week was 100% proof of that.