‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Aug 27th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, the old home of ECW – the first night in a residency at the venue for AEW. Let’s get straight into the review of the show!
Match #1: Jon Moxley def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Early on, the match was a mat wrestling showcase. Garcia held his own in the grappling exchanges, executing a drop toehold, spin drill, and fireman’s carry, but Moxley shifted momentum with a clubbing back elbow that dropped Garcia hard to the canvas. Mox followed with mounted punches in the corner and clawed at Garcia’s face before dumping him to the apron. Garcia, undeterred, targeted Moxley’s left knee, still showing the wear and tear from Sunday’s Lights Out Steel Cage Match at Forbidden Door. He ripped through the ropes with a dragon screw, then delivered back-to-back running dropkicks that sent Mox crashing into the barricade. When Garcia got distracted by Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir at ringside, Moxley made him pay with a high boot and a body slam on the floor. But “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard emerged to even the odds, and Garcia recovered with a lightning-fast roll into an ankle lock back in the ring, reapplying pressure to Mox’s leg. The crowd in Philadelphia rallied behind Garcia, who went strike-for-strike with Moxley mid-ring. After surviving an Ace Crusher from Mox and a near-fall reversal sequence, Garcia locked in a single-leg crab across Moxley’s injured leg. In a desperate move, Moxley countered by spiking Garcia headfirst with a DDT on the steel steps outside the ring. Somehow, Garcia beat the 10-count to re-enter the ring, but the damage was done. Moxley missed a stomp, and Garcia countered another dragon screw into a vicious Dragontamer submission in the center of the ring. He bridged deep, looking for the biggest win of his career, but Mox transitioned beautifully into a Bulldog Choke. Garcia escaped and planted Moxley with a piledriver, but still couldn’t keep him down. Finally, as Garcia tried for one last offensive flurry, Moxley surprised him with a small package, securing the win in flash fashion.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Kris Statlander & Harley Cameron def. Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The match began with Statlander and Ford trading control, as Penelope yanked Kris down by the hair and tried to provoke Harley into an early tag. But Statlander quickly regained momentum with a low dropkick to the temple and a cover for two. Once Cameron entered the match, the babyface tandem began clicking, landing a backbreaker–lariat combo, followed by a high kick from Harley that staggered Ford. Statlander then followed with a standing senton and used Harley in an assisted splash across Penelope for another near fall. Eventually, Bayne tagged in and began asserting her size advantage, flattening Harley with a waistlock mat slam and cutting off the ring for a string of heel-side offense. As commentary noted, this was Cameron’s first match back from a facial injury—her nose was visibly bloodied again during the bout—but she showed grit, fighting through a punishing double-team sequence and a moonsault from Ford that nearly ended it. Finally, Harley escaped and got the hot tag to Statlander, who stormed in with high-impact offense. She deadlifted Ford for a German suplex, caught Megan mid-air with a discus lariat, and the match broke down as all four women collided in a flurry of high-impact strikes. Ford delivered a crucifix driver to Statlander, Cameron hit a swinging neckbreaker, and Bayne dropped Stat with a Sick Kick, leaving all four competitors laid out. In the finishing stretch, Statlander countered a top-rope attempt from Penelope into an electric chair facebuster and immediately transitioned into a scissored armbar, trapping Ford’s head and arms with no escape.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Kazuchika Okada, Hechicero and Josh Alexander) def. JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey) & Brodido (Brody King and Bandido)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the bell even rang, Don Callis couldn’t resist riling up the Philadelphia crowd, introducing his ever-growing stable of international powerhouses, including Konosuke Takeshita, Kazuchika Okada, Hechicero, Lance Archer, Josh Alexander, and newly added muscle Wardlow. The action kicked off with Bandido and Hechicero trading holds, showcasing smooth mat work until momentum swung wildly. Tags to Takeshita and Alexander allowed them to double-team Bandido, but Brody King entered and steamrolled both men before landing a massive senton. JetSpeed followed with dual hip tosses, a double Gourdbuster, a tandem dropkick, and stereo kip-ups, punctuated by their signature handshake to a roar from the crowd. As Mike Bailey picked up steam, Okada tripped him from the outside and Alexander crushed him with an elbow. That opened the door for full Don Callis Family chaos. Despite Rick Knox’s best efforts—or lack thereof—all eight men ended up brawling across the ring and ringside. Brody King bulldozed Takeshita and Okada before hitting a cannonball to the floor, and was followed by a triple dive sequence from JetSpeed and Bandido that took us to break. Back from commercial, Hechicero choked Kevin Knight in the corner until Knight escaped and tagged in Brody, who landed a crushing Bossman Slam on Okada. The match devolved into a highlight reel: Josh Alexander dropped King with a German Suplex, Bailey nailed a superkick, Hechicero and King both attempted crossbodies, colliding mid-air, Bandido wiped out Hechicero, Takeshita launched himself with a tope con giro, and Bailey landed a sunset flip double knees. After Mike Bailey countered an Okada Rainmaker and sent Alexander flying with an avalanche Frankensteiner, it looked like the tide had turned. Bailey went to the top rope and attempted his devastating Shooting Star Knees—but missed. Alexander recovered, snatched Bailey in a tight cradle, and got the three count.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Trios Championship – The Opps (Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs) def. Ricochet & GOA (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
In the penultimate bout of the night, The Opps put their AEW World Trios Championships on the line. The match opened with Ricochet trying to chop down Powerhouse Hobbs, but his strikes barely registered. Hobbs effortlessly blocked a whip attempt and absorbed Ricochet’s offense before dropping him with a devastating right hook. A blind tag brought in Kaun, who momentarily caught Hobbs off guard with a shoulder block, leading to the first of many explosive exchanges. Shibata tagged in next and squared off with Kaun in a thunderous, crowd-pleasing chop war that lasted nearly a full minute. Shibata got the better of the exchange, flooring Kaun with a hesitation dropkick in the corner. But the tide turned when Ricochet interfered illegally, allowing his team to isolate Shibata. From there, the challengers took control, with Ricochet hitting a snapmare and standing senton, Liona using his raw power to deliver chops and headbutts, and Kaun drilling Shibata with a leg sweep into an arm-trapped STO variation. Still, Shibata survived and finally made the tag to Hobbs. The big men collided as Hobbs and Toa Liona exchanged brutal lariats and clubbing forearms. Hobbs took over with corner offense and a flying lariat that sent Liona off his feet. Samoa Joe entered soon after, blasting Ricochet with a powerslam and senton for a near fall, but the challengers rallied with a flurry of offense. Just as Ricochet climbed the ropes for another aerial attack, MVP appeared at ringside and smashed him in the back with a cane, seeking revenge for Sunday’s events at Forbidden Door. Samoa Joe immediately seized the opening, locking in the Coquina Clutch. Ricochet submitted, giving The Opps the victory and a successful title defense.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Falls Count Anywhere Match – Darby Allin def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match could even be announced, Claudio ambushed Darby backstage with a shopping cart full of weapons, throwing him through a TV and dragging his limp body toward the entranceway. There, Castagnoli delivered a giant swing into the barricade, sending Allin’s head ricocheting off steel. Darby tried to fight back with a wild coffin drop off a support beam, but the damage to his body was already mounting. In the ring, Claudio showed no mercy, military pressing Allin and launching him over the top rope, bouncing him off the announce table in a jaw-dropping display of strength. Back from break, tables and chairs littered the canvas as the punishment escalated. Darby dodged one charge, sending Claudio crashing through a table, but the Swiss Superman responded with an avalanche Karelin lift onto a pile of chairs, followed by a brutal running powerbomb through another table. Incredibly, Darby still kicked out. Allin mounted a desperate surge, landing a Code Red that turned the tables. After two vicious Coffin Drops, he pinned Claudio for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s Dynamite, emanating from the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, served up an electric mix of grit, momentum, and nostalgia that delivered a compelling chapter in the Forbidden Door fallout. The Falls Count Anywhere battle between Darby Allin and Claudio Castagnoli was a brutal, non-stop thrill ride – pure ECW spirit brought into full AEW force – while Jon Moxley’s hard-hitting clash with Daniel Garcia grounded the show with visceral storytelling. The surprise return of HOOK added emotional weight and future intrigue, and the tag match featuring Kris Statlander and Harley Cameron versus Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford showcased chemistry and power from the women’s division. A few promos felt unfocused, Mercedes Moné’s segment, in particular, lacked bite, but overall the intimate atmosphere of the 2300 and the strong in-ring action made this a standout entry as Dynamite begins its multi-week residency.
