‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Nov 5th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from Houston, Texas and continued the build to Blood and Guts next week! Also, AEW’s official recaps are getting rather ling, so we’ll be abbreviating them where we can to save your eyes! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match 1 – Claudio Castagnoli def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cassidy jumped Castagnoli before the bell, hitting rapid-fire dives and strikes until Castagnoli overpowered him, hurling him into the steel-cabled ropes and taking control with punishing strength spots. After finally entering the ring, Castagnoli went for his pop-up uppercut, but Cassidy countered and forced him outside, only to be caught in a long stalled suplex that ended with Cassidy being thrown over the guardrail and slammed on the apron. Cassidy’s attempts at a DDT kept getting caught, though he briefly locked in a rear choke before Castagnoli broke it with finger manipulation and launched him with the giant swing. Castagnoli dominated around ringside, repeatedly deadlifting Cassidy despite OC defiantly going hands-in-pockets. A burst of offense saw Cassidy hit a top-rope hurricanrana, dropkick, and DDTs inside and out, but Castagnoli shut him down with a Liger Bomb into a crossface. They traded roll-ups and counters until Castagnoli brutalised Cassidy with uppercuts on the apron. Cassidy hit a Stundog Millionaire mid-suplex and even landed a mid-air Orange Punch, but Castagnoli finally caught him clean with a pop-up uppercut to score the win, giving the Death Riders a 1–0 lead in the Blood & Guts Advantage Battle.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal – Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) def. Athena and Mercedes Moné
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Athena blindsided Nightingale before the bell, leaving Moné and Cameron to open the match. Moné and Athena dominated early with quick tags, heavy strikes, and constant isolation, repeatedly cutting Cameron off from her corner. A backdrop driver finally gave Cameron an opening, allowing Nightingale to tag in and run wild with clotheslines, a corner splash, a double dropkick, and tandem offense with Cameron. Athena broke up the pin and regained control, leading to a big Moné dive to the floor and a Meteora–Gory Special combo that still couldn’t keep Cameron down. Cameron endured another long stretch alone, surviving Moné’s Three Amigos long enough to counter the double-team attempt. Nightingale tagged in and blasted both opponents with a huge double clothesline, cannonball, and spinebuster, but Athena kicked out. Momentum swung repeatedly as Moné and Athena countered with high-impact moves, only for Cameron and Nightingale to claw back with reversals, Sole Food, and heavy lariats. The closing stretch turned chaotic: Athena hit a double fallaway slam while carrying both opponents, Billie Starkz arrived with Athena’s title, and Kris Statlander ran in to neutralize her. Amid the confusion, Nightingale stopped Athena from grabbing the belt and dropped her with a Babe with the Powerbomb, setting up Cameron to nail her finisher for the win. The Babes of Wrath advance to the semifinals against the Sisters of Sin.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match 2 – Darby Allin def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Allin entered through the crowd, immediately clashing with Garcia as he leapt from the second rope. Garcia broke Allin’s early control with rough tactics—yanking his ear, striking his throat, and choking him with turnbuckle padding. Allin responded by trapping Garcia’s arm in the ringpost, hammering it, and hitting a flip dive to the floor. The fight spilled outside, where Garcia regained momentum by battering Allin on the apron and throwing him into the steps. Garcia ground Allin down until a scramble led to nearfalls and reversals, ending with Allin countering a follow-up suplex into a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin climbed for a Coffin Drop, but Garcia cut him off and sent him crashing outside before sandwiching him between the steps and post, then dropkicking the stairs. As Allin struggled up—bloodied—PAC blindsided him, hiding afterward while Allin barely beat the count. Garcia toyed with him, locking in a Scorpion Deathlock with mocking theatrics. Allin clawed to the ropes, got dragged back, then shockingly reversed into his own Scorpion Deathlock for the tap-out win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Blood & Guts Advantage Battle Match 1 – Megan Bayne def. Mina Shirakawa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shirakawa tried to start fast, but the much bigger Bayne thwarted every attempt. Shirakawa didn’t let up, instead choosing to chop down Bayne by the legs. Shirakawa knocked Bayne to the outside with a dropkick and scaled the top rope to hit a crossbody onto Bayne! Back in the ring, Bayne met Shirakawa on the top rope and threw her with a fallaway slam. Bayne remained in control until Shirakawa was able to get a trip and a tornillo for a nearfall. Bayne ducked a spinning backfist and caught Shirakawa with a couple of big throws. On the apron, Bayne tried for a suplex, but Shirakawa blocked it and nailed Bayne with a big kick to the head. She followed with a suplex of her own on the apron! Once again, Shirakawa scaled the ropes, but Bayne was there to meet her and nailed a superplex. Bayne tried a powerbomb, so Mina reversed it into a hurricanrana into the corner. Shirakawa went to the top yet again and hit a slingblade, but Bayne kicked out! Shirakawa called for the Glamorous Driver, but all of a sudden Marina Shafir choked Storm from the crowd! Shirakawa was distracted by the commotion and walked right into a flying clothesline from Bayne. While Storm fought off Shafir on the outside, Bayne hit a running Liger Bomb to get the win and take a 1-0 advantage for her side.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata) def. “Hangman” Adam Page, HOOK & Eddie Kingston
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Page and Shibata opened the main event by trading heavy shots until Page gained enough control to tag in HOOK. Shibata quickly neutralised him and brought in Hobbs, who overpowered HOOK with backbreakers. HOOK rallied with a throw but was hurt, leaving Kingston to enter while medical staff checked HOOK on the floor. Kingston endured a long stretch against Joe before dodging a senton and tagging Page, who exploded on all three opponents and hit a moonsault for a near-fall. A blind tag let Kingston re-enter as Page dove onto Shibata outside. Chaos followed: Joe dropped Kingston, HOOK removed Joe, Shibata tripped HOOK, and Page and Kingston lined up a Buckshot/Uraken before Hobbs yanked Page down and drove him back-first into the ring edge. Kingston tried diving onto Hobbs but was intercepted and suplexed back inside. Hobbs then dragged Page up the ramp and smashed him off the stage through a table, leaving the world champion destroyed. In the ring, Kingston survived Shibata and Joe long enough for Shibata to accidentally kick Joe. Kingston dumped Shibata, but Hobbs returned, crushing Kingston in the corner. HOOK—still hurt—tagged himself in but couldn’t lock REDRUM; Hobbs hoisted him into a torture rack, forcing HOOK to tap out.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s show delivered a lively and engaging show this week, sharpening the road to Blood & Guts with purpose and energy. The men’s and women’s advantage matches both hit the mark, with strong performances from Claudio Castagnoli, Darby Allin, and a standout showing by Megan Bayne that added real momentum heading into next Wednesday. The women’s tag-tournament provided the night’s biggest surprise as Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron scored a spirited upset, injecting fresh excitement into the bracket. The main event trios match didn’t fully peak, but it still offered plenty of intensity from Hangman Page, HOOK, and Eddie Kingston, keeping their ongoing battles simmering. Even the announcement of a new National Championship felt ambitious in a good way, signalling AEW’s desire to expand the landscape. Overall, this episode was a vibrant, forward-moving Dynamite that kept the card hot and the anticipation high.