‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Jul 16th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois. Let’s get straight into the review of the post-All In: Texas show!
Match #1: Kyle Fletcher def. Mascara Dorada
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Fletcher wasted no time, opening with a blistering high boot and grounding Dorada with heavy right hands before tearing at his mask. The strategy was clear: keep the high-flyer on the mat. But Dorada wouldn’t stay grounded for long. The luchador stunned the crowd with an unreal slingshot missile dropkick — planting his foot not on the ropes, but on the ring post to launch himself back into the action. Fletcher regained control with a well-timed counter, popping Dorada into the air and planting him with a twisting side slam reminiscent of a Bossman Slam. Back live, Fletcher stayed on the attack with a scoop slam and rear chinlock, slowing Dorada’s pace — but not for long. Dorada flipped the momentum with a breathtaking shooting star press off the middle rope to the floor, drawing a stunned reaction from Don Callis at ringside, who buried his face in his hands in disbelief. Back in the ring, Dorada sidestepped a kick, landed an enzuigiri, and hit a picture-perfect Code Red for a near fall. Moments later, Dorada climbed the ropes and stunned Fletcher with a top rope corkscrew Frankensteiner, followed by a massive 450 Splash that nearly ended the match. But Fletcher showed grit and toughness, kicking out at two-and-a-half. Looking to end it, Dorada attempted a moonsault — but Fletcher caught him out of mid-air. From there, the momentum turned sharply. Fletcher launched Dorada face-first into the turnbuckles with a running lawn dart, then exploded across the ring with a vicious big boot. With Dorada stunned, Fletcher hoisted him up and drove him down with his signature Brainbuster, earning the hard-fought pinfall victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: All Star 8-Man Tag – Hechicero, Josh Alexander & The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) def. Brody King, Bandido & JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The match kicked off with Brody King and Josh Alexander exchanging heavy strikes, a thunderous chop from Brody leaving the “Walking Weapon” gasping for breath. Tags followed, and Bandido and Hechicero picked up the pace — a fiery sequence that included a big satellite arm drag from Bandido and a diving hurricanrana off the apron to the floor. Momentum shifted quickly as JetSpeed entered and showed off their signature fluidity: a double whip, double hip toss, and tandem offense that left Nick Jackson scrambling. But the Bucks responded with sharp counters and a classic Doomsday Device-style kick-stomp combo. Kevin Knight blasted both Bucks with a leaping double dropkick, and a red-hot tag brought in Speedball Mike Bailey, who turned the ring into his own dojo. Boots to both Bucks, an axe kick, and a buzzsaw roundhouse to Matt Jackson got the crowd roaring. After an Orihara moonsault and a missile dropkick, Speedball nearly stole the match. The action spilled into chaos as all eight men brawled. Brody King crushed Hechicero with a cannonball in the corner, then wiped out the entire opposition with a diving senton to the floor. Bandido blind-tagged in and hit a stunning Asai moonsault to the outside, then followed with a pop-up Ace Crusher on Nick Jackson inside the ring. He wasn’t done yet. Bandido got Nick up on his shoulders, connected with the X Knee, and lined up for his signature 21-Plex — but the Bucks countered with the IndieTaker, spiking Bandido mid-motion! As Bandido staggered, Hechicero caught him in an inverted monkey flip, launching him directly into a Superkick Party from the Bucks. With Bandido completely dazed, Hechicero locked in a sleeper hold.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: $100,000 Women’s 4-Way Match – Thekla def. Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander and Queen Aminata
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Early on, the action moved at a frenetic pace. Statlander showed off her raw strength by scooping up Thekla and holding her vertical before planting her with a delayed suplex and a kip-up. Thekla fired back with kicks and strikes, but was intercepted when Aminata pulled Statlander to the floor and Willow followed with a running senton to break up a pin attempt on Queen. Aminata countered with a stomp, then rolled under a senton attempt from Willow and whipped her into the corner for a crushing hip attack. The momentum swung wildly as all four women took turns hitting big shots — including Aminata’s “Off With Her Head” kick, only for Willow to break it up with another senton. Thekla went high-risk with a diving crossbody to the floor before the match spilled into a melee of brawls. At ringside, Statlander suplexed Aminata on the floor, while back inside, Thekla launched off Statlander’s back to hit a tornado DDT on Nightingale. The toxic spider then followed with a spider suplex on Aminata, hanging upside down and snapping her back into the ring with terrifying precision. Statlander looked poised to win after landing a powerful lariat on Thekla and connecting with a kick to Aminata. Willow dropped Queen with a high boot and then planted Thekla with the Doctor Bomb in the center of the ring — but just as Aubrey Edwards went to count the three, Statlander pulled the referee out of the ring, saving the match and costing Willow a huge payday. While Statlander and Willow brawled up the ramp, Queen Aminata soared with a double stomp off the top onto Thekla — but it wasn’t enough. That’s when chaos truly reigned. As Aminata tried to capitalize, Skye Blue appeared at ringside, drawing attention — but it was Julia Hart, lurking behind, who delivered the most devastating blow. Julia entered the ring and spit green mist into Aminata’s face. Thekla struck immediately with a stomp and hooked the leg. Thekla pinned Queen Aminata to win the $100,000 Four-Way Match.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Kazuchika Okada def. Rafael Quintero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
AEW’s newly crowned Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada wasted no time making his presence felt on Dynamite following his victory over Kenny Omega at All In: Texas. Flanked by Don Callis and carrying both the AEW International and Continental Championships, the Rainmaker made his entrance for a rare singles bout against Rafael Quintero. Okada struck with immediate authority. A boot to the midsection followed by a series of elbows left Quintero staggering. The Unified Champion kept the pressure on, landing a precise and powerful elbow strike before unleashing his signature picture-perfect dropkick. Moments later, Okada measured his opponent, pulled him in, and delivered the Rainmaker clothesline with devastating force. It was academic from there.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: Trios Match – Hangman Adam Page, Powerhouse Hobbs & Mark Briscoe def. The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hobbs and Castagnoli kicked things off, trading massive strikes until a short-arm lariat from Hobbs dropped the Swiss powerhouse. Hangman tagged in next, stomping Claudio down in the corner and mounting him for a barrage of punches before referee Paul Turner pulled him away. Wheeler Yuta tagged in and ate a vicious big boot from the world champion. Page dragged him into the corner and tagged in Briscoe, who followed up with Redneck Kung Fu and a flurry of chops. The match broke down quickly, all six men brawling before a commercial break. Back from the break, Hobbs was the legal man but got chop-blocked by Castagnoli on the outside after Marina Shafir stepped in his way, allowing Moxley to slam Hobbs into the steel steps and choke him against the barricade. Inside the ring, the Death Riders isolated and brutalized Hobbs until he was finally able to tag out to Briscoe. Briscoe came in hot but was gouged in the eyes by Shafir and dropped with a Paradigm Shift from Moxley on the outside. Another commercial cut the chaos, and when the show returned, Briscoe was still trapped deep in enemy territory. Hobbs was once again thrown into the steel steps as the Death Riders executed a series of quick tags and double teams to keep Briscoe grounded. Eventually, Briscoe hit a desperation dropkick and crawled toward the corner, making the hot tag to Hangman Page, who exploded into the match with right hands for everyone in black. Hangman landed a triangle lariat on Claudio, scooped up Yuta for a fallaway slam, and followed up with a rolling elbow that sent Claudio to the floor. Briscoe then flew with a tope con giro, and Hangman hit an Orihara moonsault off the top rope to the outside. He lined up Castagnoli for the Buckshot Lariat, but Moxley bit his head to break it up. Hobbs ran in to plant Moxley with a spinebuster, Yuta countered with a Busaiku Knee, and Briscoe nailed a Froggy Bow. Buckshot was countered, Neutralizer was countered… and then Page flipped Claudio into a jackknife pin for the three count!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Dynamite delivered a well-structured and story-driven follow-up to the fallout from All In Texas. The show opened strong with “Hangman” Adam Page’s emotional promo as new AEW World Champion – a grounded and passionate moment that set the tone for his reign. His main event match alongside Mark Briscoe and Powerhouse Hobbs against the Death Riders was chaotic, physical, and full of layered storytelling, especially with the surprising visual tease of Darby Allin returning in dramatic fashion. Elsewhere on the card, the action stayed hot. Kyle Fletcher’s victory over Mascara Dorada was a crisp and fast-paced opener that continued to elevate him. The Don Callis Family clashed with Bandido’s squad in a wild tag encounter that deepened the Bucks’ new heel direction. The women’s four-way match, while slightly messy in narrative execution, showcased the division’s in-ring depth and teased a rivalry brewing between top stars. Toni Storm and Athena continued to build their personal war of words with strong promo work, and Adam Copeland’s face-off tease with FTR added extra heat to an already loaded tag scene. Overall, this wasn’t a shock-heavy episode; it was about planting seeds and reinforcing momentum. AEW’s long-term storytelling approach was on full display here. If you appreciate wrestling that balances in-ring excellence with character development, this week’s show was a hit.