‘AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage’ Review (Jan 14th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW Dynamite: Maximum Carnage, another AEW “special”, which was broadcast from Phoenix, Arizona. Also, as usual, we’ll be abbreviating AEW’s huge match recaps where we can to save your eyes and your time! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Darby Allin def. PAC
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
PAC entered through the crowd with the Death Riders, but Renee Paquette stopped him, making it clear he’d be going it alone. When PAC turned to jaw with fans, Darby Allin launched himself over the barricade, kicking off a wild brawl before the bell. The fight spilled into the crowd, with Allin hitting a Coffin Drop from the first level. PAC eventually regained control at ringside, hammering Allin with suplexes on the floor and into the steel steps before finally starting the match. PAC dominated early, dropping Allin with a lariat, slingshotting him into the ropes, and stacking him with a bridging German. Allin survived and rallied with a missile dropkick, a Coffin Splash, and a Coffin Drop to the floor. PAC answered with an avalanche suplex and an Awesome Bomb to the ramp, but Allin beat the count and defiantly flipped him off. After aggravating his injured ankle, PAC became Allin’s target. Darby hit another Coffin Drop on the apron, then nearly won with a Scorpion Death Lock, only for the referee to be taken out. Wheeler Yuta interfered, but Allin dispatched him, smashed PAC’s ankle with a chair-assisted Coffin Drop, reapplied the Scorpion Death Lock, and forced PAC to tap out.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: “Hangman” Adam Page def. Bryan Keith
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Keith entered with Big Bill, who immediately tried to distract Hangman Page at the bell. Page was ready, turning back Keith’s sneak attack before the action spilled into a hard-hitting exchange of boots and chops. Page gained momentum with corner strikes, a plancha to the floor, and a rolling elbow, but Bill provided the opening for Keith to drop Page with a torpedo headbutt and take control. Page fought back by avoiding a corner charge and trading power moves, including a fallaway slam and a sliding lariat, though Keith repeatedly stayed alive with near falls of his own. After Keith countered a charge with a belly-to-belly into the turnbuckles, Page narrowly kicked out. Keith hesitated on a Tiger Driver, allowing Page to recover and attempt a Buckshot Lariat. Bill interfered again, grabbing Page’s leg, which led to chaos on the floor—until Swerve stormed in, choking Bill with a chain and blasting him from behind. With the distraction neutralised, Page nailed Keith with the Buckshot Lariat and scored the pin.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Brody King def. Jonathan Cruz
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
We returned from commercial with Cruz in the ring, as King made his way down the aisle with a big smile on his face. Cruz, who was still not dressed to compete, threw shoes at King, which did absolutely nothing. Before King had his jacket off, Cruz bounced off him and fell to the mat, as the bell rang. King missed a charge in the corner, so Cruz went to the top and was swatted away by King on the way down. King crumpled Cruz with a Gonzo Bomb for an immediate victory!
My Score: Squash out of 5
Match #4: 4-Way Tag Match – The Don Callis Family (Mark Davis & Jake Doyle) def. JetSpeed (“Speedball” Mike Bailey & “The Jet” Kevin Knight, the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) and GOA (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis and AEW National Champion Ricochet joined commentary as chaos erupted at the bell. The Bucks and JetSpeed wiped out their opponents on opposite sides before colliding in the ring, trading reversals and simultaneous dropkicks. The Callis Family and Gates of Agony briefly took over, but JetSpeed answered with missile dropkicks, and a wild exchange saw Doyle and Davis shrug off a collision before all four were dropped by superkicks—only for Doyle and Davis to catch them and powerbomb everyone in a jaw-dropping show of strength. Gates of Agony stormed in, with Liona launching a huge moonsault to the floor, delighting Ricochet. Momentum swung back and forth as all eight men flooded the ring, ending with a coordinated aerial assault from the Bucks and JetSpeed. The Bucks and JetSpeed then turned on each other, trading big counters and near-falls amid constant interference. Ricochet pulled the referee out during a BTE Trigger, prompting “Jungle” Jack Perry to attack him before brawling into the crowd. In the closing scramble, Bailey was powerbombed onto the pile outside, and back in the ring, Davis planted Knight with a piledriver to seal the win in their debut as a team.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: Triangle of Madness (Thekla, Julia Hart & Skye Blue) def. Kris Statlander and The Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thekla teased starting with Statlander before Hart stepped in, only to be quickly overpowered. Cameron and Willow followed with early offense, but Hart escaped and brought in Blue, who briefly took control until Willow and Statlander cycled through with crisp strikes. Blue nearly caught Cameron with a twisting neckbreaker, then Thekla isolated Cameron, tearing at her mouth and cutting off the tag while Hart and Blue attacked on the apron. Cameron finally escaped and tagged Statlander, who stormed in with elbows, a backbreaker on Hart, and a knee to Thekla. After a flurry of near-falls and broken pins, chaos erupted as Nightingale, Cameron, and Statlander hit a series of double-team moves, only for Hart and Blue to keep the match alive. In the closing stretch, Thekla countered Willow’s Babe with the Powerbomb, then charged with a spear—Statlander shoved Willow clear and took it herself. Thekla followed with a stomp and pinned the AEW Women’s World Champion for the shock victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: AEW World Championship – MJF def. Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bandido opened with quick pin attempts and flashy counters, frustrating MJF and matching him beat for beat. After a brief taunting exchange, Bandido used his speed and power to send MJF to the floor, finishing with a dive into the guardrail. MJF regrouped by targeting Bandido’s shoulder, controlling the pace with suplexes, strikes, and a pump-handle driver while mocking his opponent. Bandido fought back with a stalling suplex, tornado DDT, and a one-armed press slam, repeatedly threatening with the 21 Plex. MJF countered by attacking the injured arm and narrowly escaping multiple near-falls, even after a tornillo, poisonrana, Code Red, and shooting star press. In the frantic closing stretch, Bandido finally hit the 21 Plex but couldn’t bridge due to the damaged arm. MJF immediately seized the opening, locking in Salt of the Earth, then transitioning to the LeBell Lock. With nowhere to go, Bandido passed out, and MJF retained.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s Maximum Carnage special largely delivered on its blood-and-thunder promise, anchored by two genuinely excellent bookends. Darby vs PAC was a violent, emotionally charged opener that played perfectly into both men’s strengths, while MJF vs Bandido was the kind of world-title main event that reminds you how deep AEW’s roster really is – athletic, dramatic, and smartly structured around the injury. In between, Hangman vs Bryan Keith was solid if a little familiar, Brody King’s squash did its job without overstaying its welcome, and the four-way tag was chaotic in the best way, making an immediate statement for the Callis Family pairing. The women’s trios match added a surprise result that will ripple forward, even if it didn’t quite hit the heights of the night’s best bouts. Not a flawless special, but a consistently strong one that balanced spectacle, storyline progression, and in-ring quality.
