‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Dec 24th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom for the second straight year for Christmas. Also, AEW’s official recaps are getting rather long, so we’ll be making them more concise where we can to save your eyes! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Continental Classic Blue League – Konosuke Takeshita def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
In a festive Hammerstein Ballroom opener, Orange Cassidy and Konosuke Takeshita tore into each other from the opening bell. Cassidy nearly stole the win early with a series of flash roll-ups and hurricanranas, coming fractions away from handing Takeshita his first loss. An increasingly angry Takeshita took control with chops, boots, and a relentless focus on Cassidy’s injured back, both inside and outside the ring. Cassidy rallied with DDTs, pocket taunts, shin kicks, and a trio of dropkicks, but Takeshita answered with a Blue Thunder Bomb and continued punishment. Late drama saw reversals, nearfalls, a missed Orange Punch followed by a successful second attempt, and a brutal apron Beach Break. Cassidy almost won via count-out, but Takeshita beat the clock, survived multiple nearfalls, and finally countered one last Orange Punch attempt before planting Cassidy with Raging Fire for the hard-fought pinfall victory.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Continental Classic Blue League – Máscara Dorada def. Roderick Strong
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With Roderick Strong already eliminated and Bandido Dorada needing a win to stay alive, the urgency was clear from the start. Dorada countered Strong’s early mat work with speed and agility, using kicks, arm drags, and quick bursts of offense to gain momentum. That was cut short when Strong caught Dorada on the apron with a brutal backbreaker, shifting control and methodically targeting Dorada’s back for several minutes. Dorada fought back through a strike exchange and a flurry of aerial attacks, including headscissors, apron offense, and a top-rope senton for a nearfall. Strong responded with boots, a neck-first dump onto the turnbuckle, and a Sick Kick that nearly sealed it. Dorada narrowly escaped End of Heartache, stunned Strong with a kick to the jaw, and capitalised with a picture-perfect shooting star press to secure the crucial victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: MJF def. Dustin Waller
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
MJF took Waller down at the bell and rained down punches on him with an undeniable intensity. He followed with a back elbow and then took his time running his crotch into Waller’s face. Waller chopped MJF, so MJF slapped him to the mat and captured him in a hammerlock DDT before locking on Salt of the Earth for a speedy tap-out victory.
My Score: Squash out of 5
Match #4: Dynamite Diamond Ring Final – Bandido def. Ricochet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ricochet entered flanked by Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun of The Demand, while Bandido stood alone, wearing the mask, chain, and jacket of Brody King. Ricochet played to the crowd early and paid for it, as Bandido dropped him, mocked him with the Macarena, and press-slammed him onto the apron. The showboating backfired when Ricochet recovered and sent Bandido back-first into the steps, taking control by targeting Bandido’s back. The match escalated into a frantic back-and-forth, with suplexes, nearfalls, and big counters on both sides. Ricochet survived a Liger Bomb and escaped the 21 Plex with help from Kaun, then landed a low blow while the referee was distracted. However, Ricochet’s attempted Spirit Gun was countered at the last second, as Bandido rolled through into a sudden pin to steal the victory.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #5: Marina Shafir def. Mina Shirakawa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shirakawa came out hot out of the gate with strikes in the corner, followed by a focused attack on Shafir’s knee. Shirakawa hit a tornillo splash from the outside in, but only got a one count. Shirakawa stayed on the move and knocked Shafir down with a dropkick from the top! Shafir fought through it and slammed Mina to the mat to swing the match in her favor. Shirakawa was in trouble for several minutes until she was able to hit a Slingblade from the top rope! That got her a two-count, so the two got into a strike battle, which Shirakawa won and locked in the figure four! Shafir escaped by snapping Shirakawa’s fingers, so Shirakawa came back with an uraken, though with her injured fingers, it didn’t have its full effect. Shafir shook it off and locked in Mother’s Milk, and Shirakawa passed out immediately.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Continental Classic Gold League – “Jungle” Jack Perry def. PAC
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jack Perry looked to outwrestle PAC early and had success until PAC regrouped on the floor, where the fight quickly turned physical. Perry kept the pressure on with dives, an elbow from the top, and relentless offense, but PAC shifted momentum outside, punishing Perry’s already injured ankle before taking control with suplexes and a top-rope dropkick. The match evolved into a hard-hitting sprint filled with counters, nearfalls, and escalating desperation. Perry survived an avalanche belly-to-belly and continued to fight through the ankle damage, landing a German suplex, flying DDT, and finally his running knee. PAC repeatedly threatened the Brutalizer, trapping Perry more than once, but Perry showed grit by escaping, biting his way free, and catching PAC off guard with a sudden cazadora pin to steal the win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a strong, wrestling-first episode that played to AEW’s strengths, balancing tournament stakes with standout individual performances. Takeshita vs Orange Cassidy set the tone with urgency and drama, while Bandido and Ricochet delivered the match of the night in a chaotic, creative Diamond Ring final. The Continental Classic continued to feel important across both leagues, with Jack Perry and PAC adding grit and tension, and Dorada vs Strong offering a solid, story-driven clash. The MJF squash did exactly what it needed to without overstaying its welcome, and while the women’s match didn’t reach the same highs, it remained competitive and purposeful. Not a perfect show, but one that consistently delivered quality in-ring action and kept AEW’s momentum going into World’s End tomorrow.
