‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 15th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from Everett, Washington – let’s dive right in! As usual, we’ll be abbreviating AEW’s huge match recaps where we can to save your eyes and your time…
Match #1: Tommaso Ciampa def. Dezmond Xavier
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
After the opening angle on Dynamite, Ciampa wasted no time taking control, battering Xavier around ringside and cutting off any early momentum. Xavier fired back with a dropkick and avoided a dive when Ciampa sidestepped, but Ciampa slowed things down and grounded him. Xavier eventually fought free, unloading with strikes, a stunner and a tornado DDT for a near fall. He kept the pressure on with a dive and a frog splash, but Ciampa refused to stay down. A missed 450 proved costly, and after a back-and-forth exchange, Ciampa finally connected with Project Ciampa—then added an unnecessary bicycle knee—to seal the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: TNT Championship – Kevin Knight def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Knight came out fast, catching Castagnoli with a pair of quick pin attempts before upping the pace with a dropkick and clothesline to the floor. Castagnoli responded with brute force, cutting Knight off with a lariat and grounding him with power offense. Knight stayed resilient, mixing speed with surprise roll-ups and bursts of offense, including a bodyslam and standing UFO Splash for two. The action escalated, with Knight landing a tope con hilo and even knocking Castagnoli off the top rope, but the powerhouse kept finding counters—highlighted by a deadlift attempt into an avalanche Neutralizer and a diving uppercut. In the closing stretch, Castagnoli swung the momentum with a Giant Swing and backbreaker, but Knight escaped the Neutralizer and fired back with a twisting lariat. One final trip up top paid off, as Knight hit the UFO Splash to secure the win and his first successful TNT Title defence.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Will Ospreay def. Hechicero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Will Ospreay came in banged up from Dynasty, and Hechicero wasted no time targeting the taped shoulder and neck, grounding Ospreay with submissions and sharp strikes. Ospreay showed flashes of his usual explosiveness—highlighted by a crossbody to the floor and a Sky Twister—but Hechicero repeatedly dragged him back down, punishing the neck and cutting off momentum. With Don Callis barking instructions, Hechicero kept control deep into the match, even forcing a rare rope break from Ospreay after a Guillotine Tijeras. The pace stayed relentless, with near-falls and counters piling up as Ospreay struggled to fight through the damage. In the end, Ospreay dug deep—escaping a triangle into a one-armed Styles Clash before finally landing the Hidden Blade to steal the victory in a hard-fought battle.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #4: TBS Championship – Willow Nightingale def. Kamille
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kamille returned looking dominant, immediately targeting the injured shoulder of Willow Nightingale, who came in clearly still feeling the effects of Dynasty. Nightingale started fast with aggressive corner offense, but Kamille quickly took over, isolating the arm and methodically breaking her down. Despite fighting at a clear disadvantage, Nightingale found bursts of offense, including a big Pounce and a cannonball in the corner for a near fall. However, the damage to her arm prevented her from hitting the Babe with the Powerbomb, allowing Kamille to regain control with more focused attacks and a cross armbreaker. In the end, Nightingale had to rely on instinct over power, countering into a deep backslide to steal the three-count and retain the TBS Championship.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: AEW World Championship – Darby Allin def. MJF
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Allin made his way to the ring first, clearly still emotional about the gravity of the evening. A confident MJF seemed ready to go after delaying the match and even stuck the AEW World Title in Allin’s face before Justin Roberts even began the championship introductions. The crowd broke out in another “DARBY” chant after he was announced from Seattle, Washington! Before the bell even rang, the crowd chanted for Darby to beat up MJF in quite a descriptive way. MJF called a timeout, which is not actually a thing in professional wrestling, because he hadn’t given his Dynamite Diamond Ring to referee Aubrey Edwards. She brought it over to the corner, which gave MJF the chance to kick Allin low out of her vision! MJF called for a headlock takeover and grabbed Allin’s head, but he sent MJF into the ropes, where he nearly took out the referee! With the referee looking away, Allin hit MJF with a low blow of his own! Allin picked MJF for the Scorpion Death Drop and connected! Allin ran up to the top rope and nailed a Coffin Drop! He ran to the opposite corner for another Coffin Drop and hit that, too! Allin went to a third corner and hit a third Coffin Drop. But that wasn’t enough! Allin went to the final corner and hit a fourth Coffin Drop! Allin took MJF down with a headlock takeover and pinned him to win the match! DARBY ALLIN IS THE NEW AEW WORLD CHAMPION! The locker room spilled out to celebrate with Allin, as confetti rained down and pyro went off to punctuate the historic moment! Finally, Sting came down the ramp and fired up the crowd even more before coming into the ring.
My Score: 5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
This episode of Dynamite felt like a show that was built with real intent, starting solid and steadily ramping up before delivering a genuinely unforgettable main event moment. Ciampa vs Xavier was a strong opener that did its job, while Knight vs Castagnoli brought the kind of hard-hitting, athletic title defence you want from the TNT scene. Ospreay and Hechicero arguably delivered the “best match” on paper, blending technical precision with Ospreay’s resilience, and the TBS title bout added a nice underdog twist with Nightingale grinding out a smart retention. But let’s be honest – this show will be remembered for one thing. Darby Allin’s win wasn’t about technical brilliance or a drawn-out epic; it was pure emotion, chaos, and payoff. The kind of moment that reminds you why you watch wrestling in the first place. The crowd, the celebration, Sting’s appearance… it all clicked perfectly!
A great episode elevated by a truly special closing moment.
