‘AEW Dynasty 2026’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of AEW’s new Dynasty pay-per-view, which was broadcast live from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and featured Excalibur and Tony Schiavone on commentary… The PPV opened with the usual Zero Hour pre-show, featuring Alex Windsor beating Marina Shafir, a returning Kamille defeating Big Anne, AEW National Champion “Jungle” Jack Perry defend his title against Mark Davis of the Don Callis Family, and AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion (“Megasus” Megan Bayne & “Colossal” Lena Kross) beat Hyan & Maya World (in a macth the WASN’T the squash it appeared to be on paper). With that out of the way, let’s get right into the action!
Match #1: Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Young Bucks got a huge ovation to open Dynasty, though Konosuke Takeshita was clearly the Vancouver favourite. Kazuchika Okada arrived with pyro and Don Callis on commentary, and while Takeshita refused a handshake, the match started clean before quickly breaking down. Early on, Okada and Takeshita worked surprisingly well together, isolating Nick, but the Bucks fired back with double-team offence and wild dives to the outside. Momentum swung constantly, with Okada mocking the Bucks and Callis getting physically involved, even targeting Matt’s eye. The middle stretch saw Okada and Takeshita dominate, cutting off tags and punishing Matt, but once Nick finally got in, the pace exploded into chaos. We got insane sequences, near-falls, stereo submissions, and a ridiculous closing stretch full of counters, miscommunication and big strikes. Tensions boiled over between Okada and Takeshita, leading to accidental collisions and mistimed attacks. In the end, that breakdown cost them—Takeshita hesitated, Nick hit a springboard tombstone, and the Bucks sealed it with the win after absolute carnage.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #2: Ricochet def. Jericho
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Chris Jericho made his return to a massive singalong of “Judas,” while Ricochet looked thoroughly unimpressed. Jericho leaned into the moment early, outwrestling Ricochet and even playing to the crowd with the “bald” chants, but the mood shifted once Ricochet targeted his arm. Ricochet took control with dives, strikes and a nasty apron Death Valley Driver, then slowed things down by working over Jericho’s shoulder—with outside help from Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun adding to the damage. Jericho rallied with a Lionsault and Codebreaker, but every comeback was cut off, often through interference. The closing stretch ramped up with big near-falls, including Ricochet’s Vertigo and a mid-air Codebreaker counter. Jericho briefly had the Walls locked in, but again The Demand intervened. After chaos on the outside, Ricochet capitalised—hitting the Spirit Gun, then twisting the knife by using Jericho’s own Lionsault to score the win.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Darby Allin def. Andrade El Ídolo
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darby Allin and Andrade El Idolo soaked in the crowd before kicking things off, trading early counters and mind games until Allin broke the stalemate with a reckless dive that hurt both men. From there, it turned into a war of punishment vs. self-destruction. Andrade controlled stretches with suplexes, knees and brutal throws into the barricade and steps, while Allin kept throwing his body on the line—dives, dropkicks and a Coffin Drop that still wasn’t enough. Both guys dished out and absorbed ridiculous damage, with Andrade even matching Allin’s insanity with a ring-to-floor suplex. The closing stretch was all near-falls and desperation. Andrade hit big offence but couldn’t keep Allin down, while Darby survived everything thrown at him. In the end, it came down to counter wrestling—Allin slipping out of The Message and trapping Andrade for a flash pin to steal the win. Andrade was fuming, but showed respect after, raising Allin’s hand following an absolute scrap.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Tag Team Championship – FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. Christian Cage & Adam Copeland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Adam Copeland and Christian Cage got the hero’s welcome in Vancouver, while FTR—alongside Stokely—were firmly in enemy territory. Cage’s taped arm immediately became the target as all four men brawled from the bell. Cope and Cage started strong with quick tags and double-team offence, but FTR slowed things down, isolating Cage and brutally working over his injured arm and Cope’s neck. The match turned into a gritty, old-school tag war—constant tags cut off, cheap shots, and Stokely’s interference always tipping the balance. When Cope finally got the hot tag, chaos erupted. Near-falls, submissions and big team moves came thick and fast, with both sides throwing everything at each other. Cope even fought through a belt shot that left him busted open, turning the closing stretch into a blood-soaked war. In the end, FTR’s experience and opportunism won out—countering a spear into a Shatter Machine to finally put Cope down after an absolute battle.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Casino Gauntlet for the Vacant TNT Championship – Winner: Kevin Knight
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Casino Gauntlet kicked off with Tommaso Ciampa and RUSH trading heavy shots before the field quickly filled out with chaos. Bandido brought early high-flying energy, while Mike Bailey and PAC raised the pace with dives and brutal strikes. As more entrants piled in—Daniel Garcia, Anthony Bowens, and others—it became a non-stop sprint of near-falls, big moves and constant interruptions. No one could hold momentum for long, with multi-man spots and saves breaking up every pin attempt. The closing stretch was pure chaos. PAC nearly stole it with a Black Arrow, Garcia locked in the Dragontamer, and bodies were flying everywhere. But out of nowhere, Kevin Knight soared in with a UFO Splash on Garcia—while he was still applying the hold—to steal the pin. Just like that, in the middle of absolute carnage, “The Jet” Kevin Knight snatched the win and the TNT Title.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: AEW Women’s World Championship – Thekla def. Jamie Hayter
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jamie Hayter came into this one fired up after a backstage pep talk, but Thekla wasted no time, exploding out of the gate with a spear and taking the fight straight to her. What followed was a scrappy, hard-hitting brawl. Hayter had her moments with power moves and suplexes, but Thekla kept dragging things into the dirt—biting, clawing and targeting Hayter with submissions and strikes, even spiking her with a DDT on the ramp. Hayter fought back on pure grit, landing a Liger Bomb and even a tombstone, but couldn’t quite put Thekla away. The closing stretch saw both women running on fumes, trading shots before Thekla leaned fully into the chaos. After escaping the Hayterade, she raked the eyes and rolled Hayter up with a spider bridge—grabbing the ropes for leverage—to steal a sneaky, hard-fought win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #7: AEW Continental Championship – Jon Moxley def. Will Ospreay
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Will Ospreay exploded out of the gate, dropping Jon Moxley with back-to-back Hidden Blades and immediately putting the champion on the defensive. With no one allowed at ringside, this was always going to be a straight-up fight—and it quickly turned into a brutal one. Ospreay controlled early with speed and precision, but one mistimed strike on the steel steps swung momentum. Moxley took over in typical fashion, slowing things down and targeting the neck, even planting Ospreay with a piledriver on the steps. From there, it became a war of punishment vs. resilience, with Ospreay repeatedly firing back with insane counters, including a mid-air Hidden Blade. The closing stretch was all heart and damage. Ospreay had openings but couldn’t capitalise, his body giving out at the worst moments. Moxley, meanwhile, just kept coming—eventually overwhelming him with multiple Paradigm Shifts and a Death Rider to retain after an absolute war.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #8: AEW World Trios Championship – The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) def. The Dogs (Gabe Kidd, David Finlay & Clark Connors)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
A ridiculous skit saw Orange Cassidy napping on a fake “live show” set until Roderick Strong dragged him into action—just in time for Kyle O’Reilly to return to a huge hometown reaction and reform The Conglomeration. Once the bell rang, O’Reilly and Strong outclassed early, keeping David Finlay off-balance with slick grappling and quick tags. But The Dogs quickly turned it into a brawl, isolating Cassidy and using power moves and chaos to take control, including a nasty suplex/spear combo on O’Reilly. The match settled into a classic trios rhythm—heat on Strong, hope spots, then the hot tag. When O’Reilly finally got in, he ran wild, snapping joints and clearing the ring. After Strong wiped out Finlay with a flying knee, O’Reilly locked in a grapevined ankle lock on Connors, forcing the tap. Just like that, The Conglomeration capped off the madness by capturing the AEW World Trios Titles.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #9: AEW World Championship – MJF def. Kenny Omega
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kenny Omega came out sharp, outwrestling MJF early and throwing everything at the champion, including dives and even a table spot at ringside. But MJF, as ever, slowed things down—targeting Omega, cutting him off, and leaning into every dirty trick in the book. From there, it became a wild back-and-forth war. Omega built momentum with V-Triggers, snap dragons and near-falls, while MJF countered with piledrivers, cutters and constant mind games. Both men traded huge moves—poisonranas, destroyers, even an avalanche One-Winged Angel—but neither could keep the other down. The closing stretch was pure chaos. Omega had it won after a One-Winged Angel, but a ref bump and MJF’s low blow stopped the count. With the Dynamite Diamond Ring back in play, MJF turned the tide—smashing Omega, then driving him through a table with a tombstone before finishing it with the Heat Seeker. In the end, it wasn’t just survival—it was classic MJF. Dirty, opportunistic, and still champion.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
AEW Dynasty is one of those shows that feels like a rollercoaster in the moment: huge highs, a few frustrating dips, but enough big swings to leave a lasting impression when it’s all said and done. The opener with the Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita set an absurdly high bar, while Darby Allin vs Andrade El Idolo and Jon Moxley vs Will Ospreay delivered the kind of hard-hitting, borderline unhinged action AEW does better than anyone. That said, the show isn’t without its issues. Chris Jericho vs Ricochet felt overbooked to death, and the Casino Gauntlet never quite found a rhythm despite the chaos. Elsewhere, FTR vs Cope & Cage brought grit, while Thekla’s underhanded win to retain the Women’s title added a suitably sneaky twist rather than a big shock title change. Then there’s the main event, MJF vs Kenny Omega – a chaotic, over-the-top war that perfectly encapsulated AEW’s strengths and excesses in one match. This wasn’t a flawless PPV, but when Dynasty hit, it hit hard.
