‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Apr 23rd 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA. We’ve got Excalibur, Taz, Ian Riccaboni AND Tony Schiavone on commentary, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Mark Briscoe def. Ricochet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Briscoe hammered Ricochet with right hand strikes as the crowd taunted Ricochet with “bald” chants. Briscoe unleashed some redneck Kungfu and then drilled Ricochet with a scissor kick through the ropes. Ricochet clobbered Mark with a pump kick. Mark dropkicked Ricochet on the apron and followed up with the Cactus elbow on the outside. Ricochet sent Briscoe throat-first into the ropes. Ricochet hit a cutter for a near fall. Briscoe rocked Ricochet with a fisherman’s buster. Ricochet retaliated with a brainbuster, but Briscoe kicked out at the two-count. Briscoe caught Ricochet with a high collar suplex and sent him soaring overhead and to the mat. Ricochet blocked a Jay Driller but Briscoe fired back with the Death Valley Driver. Briscoe went for the froggy bow but Ricochet rolled inward to avoid it. Ricochet connected with a springboard 450 splash, but Briscoe kicked out at the two-count! Briscoe jumped out of the ring with a tope con hiro. Mark followed up with a lariat, good for a near fall. Ricochet put his boots on the ropes and tried to cheat, using them for leverage, but Briscoe rolled up Ricochet and scored the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: The Young Bucks (Nicholas & Matthew Jackson) def. Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kevin Knight connected with a springboard crossbody press onto Matthew Jackson. Speedball and Knight jumped over the top rope and crash landed on The Bucks. Nicholas moonsaulted off the apron and wiped out Kevin on the floor. The Bucks ate a series of rapid fire kicks from Speedball Mike Bailey. Kevin Knight tagged in and cleaned house on the EVPs with a flurry of offense. Kevin body slammed Matthew and then crashed onto him with the UFO splash. Matthew used a Northern Lights suplex on Bailey and Knight. The Bucks hit combination offense on Knight for a near fall by Matthew. Bailey tagged in but Matthew spiked him with a DDT. Bailey blocked a superkick from Nicholas, but Matthew blasted Bailey with a superkick. Kevin Knight took flight with a dropkick to Nicholas. Kevin hit a hurracanrana on Nicholas. Knight cracked Nicholas with a backstabber, but Matthew jumped in to break up the pin attempt. Knight splashed Nicholas while Bailey moonsaulted Matthew. Knight dropped the UFO splash from up top, but Matthew was there to break up the pin again, as he and Bailey were brawling and fell on top of Knight, their momentum knocking him off Bailey. The Bucks stuffed Bailey with a Meltzer Driver off the apron. Kevin fired back with a double DDT! Ricochet ran down and grabbed Kevin Knight’s ankle. The Bucks seized the moment to nail Knight with the EVP Trigger and Nicholas pinned Knight.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita def. Will Ospreay & Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Takeshita and Alexander hit tandem offense on Ospreay. Ospreay took down Josh with a hurracanrana. Brody scoop slammed Takeshita and deposited him on top of Alexander. Brody walloped Josh with a chop. Alexander charged at Ospreay and knocked him out of the ring with a low cross press under the bottom rope. Brody back dropped Josh. Brody clubbed Takeshita with a monstrous lariat. Brody flew out of the ring with a tope suicida onto Takeshita and Alexander. Ospreay tagged in and stomped the back of Takeshita’s head. Takeshita planted Ospreay with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall! Josh power bombed Ospreay. Takeshita sent Brody flying with a German suplex. Josh joined in and hit a German suplex on Brody. Takeshita smashed Brody with a PowerDrive knee strike. Josh spiked Brody with the C4 and picked up the victory!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: The Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Semifinal – Jamie Hayter def. Kris Statlander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hayter hit a German Suplex on Stat. Hayter followed up with a double knee strike in the corner. Statlander knocked down Hayter with a leg sweep. Statlander crashed and burned after a Hayter dodged a moonsault on the arena floor. Back in the ring, Statlander dumped Hayter with a German Suplex. Stat applied a dragon sleeper. Statlander hoisted up Hayter and drove her down face first. Statlander rammed Hayter with a double knee strike to the back. Hayter clobbered Kris with the Hayte Breaker! Statlander fired back with a 450 splash for a near fall! Hayter rallied back with a wicked lariat and pinned Statlander, advancing to the finals of the Owen!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s episode of Dynamite was a thrilling ride from start to finish, blending explosive in-ring action with strong character development and storyline advancement. Broadcasting live from New Orleans, the show wasted no time delivering standout moments that will ripple through the coming weeks. The Young Bucks returned in style, defeating Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a fast-paced tag match that featured interference from Ricochet. Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter clashed in a heated semifinal for the women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, with the winner earning a spot against Mercedes Moné at Double or Nothing. A standout moment saw Master P introduce The Opps as the new Trios Champions, sparking a wild confrontation with the Death Riders and a surprise appearance by Kenny Omega. Elsewhere, Mark Briscoe scored a gritty win over Ricochet, while FTR made a shocking return, aligning with Stokely Hathaway. Meanwhile, tensions escalated as the Don Callis Family defeated Ospreay and Brody King, and Hangman Page was blindsided by Roppongi Vice. From top to bottom, Dynamite delivered a compelling mix of drama, chaos, and athletic excellence. With momentum building toward Double or Nothing, AEW feels must-watch once again.