‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Mar 18th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from San Jose, California. We’ve got Tony Schiavone, Excalibur and Bryan Danielson on commentary, so let’s dive right in! Also, as usual, we’ll be abbreviating AEW’s huge match recaps where we can to save your eyes and your time…
Match #1: Will Ospreay def. Blake Christian
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ospreay opened with chain wrestling before sending Christian to the floor with a hurricanrana. A missed plancha let Christian take control, pulling Ospreay down and hitting a cazadora/splash combo on the outside. Back in the ring, Ospreay fired back with boots, a plancha and a springboard elbow for two, but Christian targeted Ospreay’s surgically repaired neck with a neckbreaker, DDT and sustained holds. Ospreay rallied with a handspring kick and corkscrew strike, but a missed moonsault allowed Christian to stomp him and hit a DDT on the floor, followed by a 450 splash and cutter for near-falls. The pace picked up with counters and close calls, including Christian hitting Sliced Bread for two. Christian teased the Hidden Blade, but Ospreay cut him off with a lariat and connected with the real Hidden Blade to score the pin on his return.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta) def. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Ace Austin)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Yuta jumped Robinson at the bell while Moxley brawled with Austin on the floor, quickly giving the Death Riders the advantage. Robinson and Austin briefly took control with double-team offence, but Yuta raked the eyes to bring Moxley in, who slowed the pace by targeting Robinson’s eye and isolating Austin. Austin eventually fired back with strikes, an enzuigiri and a twisting dive to the outside, but Yuta cut him off by sending him into the steel steps. The Death Riders dominated for several minutes, with Moxley locking in submissions until Austin finally escaped and tagged Robinson, who ran wild with jabs, chops and the Left Hand of God on both opponents. Austin returned but missed a top-rope splash onto Yuta’s knees, allowing the Death Riders to regain control. After a flurry of chaos, Yuta nailed a Busaiku knee and Moxley followed with the Death Rider on Austin to seal the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Coffin Match – Darby Allin def. “War Ready” Gabe Kidd
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The fight started in the parking lot, where Allin tried to run Kidd down with a car before attacking him outside. Kidd fought back with a powerbomb on the vehicle, but Allin gouged the eyes and used a chemical-soaked rag to take control, before crashing the car in a wild stunt. Allin stuffed Kidd into a road case and wheeled him to ringside, where the Coffin Match officially began. Allin put Kidd in a straitjacket and tried to finish things quickly, but Kidd recovered, sent Allin into the steps and even fought back while still strapped in, biting at Allin’s already busted head. The two traded brutal spots around the coffin, including an avalanche Code Red from Allin and a running powerslam from Kidd despite the straitjacket. After smashing Kidd repeatedly with his skateboard, Allin hit two Coffin Drops, then launched himself through the ropes to knock Kidd into the coffin, slamming the lid shut for the win.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: “Speedball” Mike Bailey def. Mark Davis
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bailey used speed early, dodging Davis before landing a flurry of kicks in the corner, but Davis quickly overpowered him with a shoulder tackle, slam and senton. Bailey fired back with rapid kicks, a dropkick and a running shooting star for a one-count, then took control with a triangle moonsault to the floor. Davis cut the comeback short by chopping Bailey off the ropes and hitting a brutal release suplex on the ring edge. The pace picked up with both men trading heavy strikes and big counters, including a shooting star press from Bailey for two and a BT Bomb from Davis that nearly finished it. Davis stayed on offence with lariats and power moves, but Bailey kept finding openings with spin kicks and quick roll-ups. After escaping another powerbomb, Bailey stunned Davis with a heel kick, hit a standing moonsault knee drop, then finished the match with the Ultima Weapon for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: No Holds Barred – Mina Shirakawa def. Marina Shafir
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shirakawa rushed the bell with a barbed wire bat, catching Shafir in the leg, but Shafir powered through and took control with throws and strikes. Shirakawa introduced weapons, pulling out champagne bottles and a chair, but Shafir stayed dominant, tossing her around the ring and even taking a drink mid-match before continuing the assault. Shirakawa rallied with La Mistica onto a chair, a top-rope dropkick and multiple chair shots, then nearly won with an avalanche slingblade. The fight spilled outside where Shafir set up a table, only for both women to crash through it after a backdrop suplex. Back in the ring, Shafir grew cocky with the cover, allowing Shirakawa to recover, smash a champagne bottle over her head and land a backfist followed by Storm Zero to score the three-count.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: “Jungle” Jack Perry and Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada, Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Perry started against Okada, with early chaos breaking out as RPG Vice interfered and the Bucks cleared the ring, hitting a series of double-team moves before Perry wiped everyone out with a moonsault to the floor. The Callis Family regained control, isolating Perry with quick tags and heavy offence until he finally landed a lariat and brought Nick Jackson into the match. Nick ran wild with fast counters, the Bucks hit a string of double-team moves and all three babyfaces locked in submissions at once, only for the ropes to save the Family. The action stayed frantic, with near-falls, dives and interrupted finishers on all sides, including a failed triple tombstone attempt from Okada and RPG Vice. The closing stretch saw the Superkick Party explode, Romero eat a BTE Trigger and Perry finish things with a flying knee to score the main-event win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Dynamite felt like a show built around strong in-ring action rather than major storyline progression, and for the most part, that worked in its favour. Will Ospreay’s return set the tone perfectly with an excellent opener against Blake Christian, easily the standout match of the night, while the Death Riders tag and the Bailey vs Davis bout kept the momentum going with solid, hard-hitting wrestling. The Coffin Match was wild but a little too chaotic for its own good, and although the No Holds Barred match brought the spectacle, it never quite reached the level it felt like it should have. The main event trios match delivered the usual fast-paced Elite-style chaos to close the show, making for an entertaining finish even if it felt slightly formulaic. Overall, this was a consistently good episode with plenty of action, but only one truly great match that pushed it into must-see territory.
