‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Sep 10th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, the old home of ECW, as part of AEW’s residency at the venue. Let’s get straight into the review of the show!
Match #1: Grudge Match – “Hangman” Adam Page def. Josh Alexander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
What is the best way to start a grudge match? How about Hangman and Alexander trading punches like a hockey fight down the road in South Philly, with the 2300 Arena roaring in approval? The early aggression by Hangman was praised by the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, who made his full-time debut as part of the AEW Dynamite commentary team. Even as Alexander tried to chop and slow down Page, the AEW World Champion kept his foot on the gas. After sending Alexander over the top the hard way, Page immediately followed with a plancha to the outside! Before Page could do any more damage, Alexander rolled back in the ring and out of harm’s way. Alexander ended Page’s early flurry when he ducked a big boot and dropped Hangman back first on the apron. He wasted no time delivering a torpedo-like dropkick to a sitting Page, sending him crashing to the floor. All of a sudden, Hangman was in major trouble. In a move that was somewhat out of character, Alexander took his time gloating to the angry Philadelphia crowd as he sent Page corner to corner with jumping forearms to the head. The braggadocious behavior went on a little too long, allowing Hangman to fire out of the corner. The AEW World Champion went to work with a pair of clotheslines and a fallaway slam, bringing the 2300 Arena alive with “Cowboy Shit!” chants as Page nearly picked up the win with a Death Valley driver. Alexander blocked a Dead Eye attempt, but walked into a big boot and still managed to anticipate the Buckshot Lariat by countering into multiple German suplexes. In a wild feat of strength, Alexander held onto the grip and dragged Page to the apron with another German suplex! He somehow still held onto the grip and took Hangman down the aisle, but Hangman flipped out of a final suplex attempt and somehow managed to overhead throw Alexander into the guard rail. Both men were spent and needed every bit of the 10-count to get back in the ring. From their knees, the two began trading shots as they worked back to their feet. Hangman almost picked up the win by reversing Alexander’s momentum into a Liger Bomb, but it only registered a two from referee Rick Knox. Alexander and Page battled dangerously on the top rope with the Walking Weapon coming out on top with an avalanche fireman’s carry slam, but Hangman kicked out at two. Alexander immediately grabbed Page’s ankle and eventually had to break the hold, but the damage was done. However, Page managed to create some distance by crawling to the apron and turned an exchange with Alexander into a Dead Eye on the hardest part of the ring! Sensing victory was in his grasp, Hangman hit a corner moonsault to the outside and threw Alexander back in the ring to set up the Buckshot Lariat and that’s when Don Callis had enough. He threw down his headset to distract the referee while Archer and Romero both tried to stop Hangman. He may have been slowed, but he would not be denied, knocking away Callis’ goons before hitting the Buckshot Lariat on Alexander for the hard-fought victory in the grudge match to kick off Dynamite!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Riho & Alex Windsor def. Mercedes Moné & Emi Sakura
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ten days before they meet for the TBS Championship at All Out in Toronto, Mercedes Moné and Riho were on opposite sides of this international tag team battle. Moné enlisted the help of Riho’s mentor, Emi Sakura, while Alex Windsor joined Riho. Moné didn’t last long with Riho to open the match, quickly tagging out to Sakura to give us a teacher vs. student matchup. However, Riho went right on the offensive, showing no mercy to the woman who helped train her. Windsor tagged in and kept the momentum going before taking out Sakura and Moné with a cannonball to the outside. Riho immediately followed up with a top-rope dive to the already woozy Sakura and Moné. Back in the ring, Sakura was able to turn it around on Riho and Windsor with a double submission, as Moné gloated in the background. Moné and Sakura took turns punishing Riho, as Windsor looked on helplessly from the corner. A flying headscissors gave Riho the opening she needed to get the fresher Windsor back in the match. Much like we saw last week in their TBS Title match, Windsor was able to get the best of Moné with her speed and power. That allowed Riho to recover enough to hit a double stomp onto an elevated Moné before a basement dropkick, similar to what she did on Dynamite last Wednesday. Riho took too long to get up from her own move, allowing Sakura and Moné to get back into control, but not for long. Windsor subdued Moné with a Sharpshooter in the ropes while Riho tapped out Sakura with a single-leg Boston Crab in the ring for the win!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Ricochet def. Shelton Benjamin
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Ricochet came firing out of the gates hot with a pair of big dropkicks before quickly sending Benjamin out to the floor and following with a twisting dive to the outside. The fireworks continued with a 450 Splash, but Benjamin forcefully kicked out at two, and it looked like Ricochet had seen a ghost. Benjamin, perhaps now warmed up, hit a step up knee to Ricochet and sent him crashing to the outside. Ricochet got a painful tour of the ringside area, as Benjamin ragdolled him off the ring and guardrails. A brief moment of hesitation allowed Ricochet to sidestep Benjamin, sending him into the commentary desk head-first. Ricochet pounced on Benjamin with a running kick and had now taken full control. Ricochet fought off a small flurry to hit a big running knee, and while Benjamin kicked out, it was not with the same gusto as earlier in the match. A little too much arrogance put Ricochet in trouble when he took too long to stay on Benjamin, allowing Benjamin to snatch him for a round of German suplexes as Philadelphia asked for more. Another big knee strike in the corner put Ricochet down but not out, as he kicked his way back into the match before trading shots with Benjamin that took both men down. Benjamin hit a huge roundhouse kick, but Ricochet was able to shake it off for a top rope Spanish Fly! Yet Benjamin kicked out again! Ricochet then pulled out hidden scissors, but Benjamin snatched and broke them before they were used. Despite the gentleman’s agreement, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona showed up at ringside. With Kaun distracting the referee, Liona hit Benjamin with a massive headbutt, allowing Ricochet grab a rollup with a handful of tights for the win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #4: Philly Street Fight – “Timeless” Toni Storm def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The AEW Women’s Champion, “Timeless” Toni Storm, made her way to the ring, but not before grabbing a 2300 Arena sign to add to a collection of weapons for this Philly Street Fight. She even paid homage to one of the building’s greatest legends by grabbing a kendo stick and smashing a can over her head. Blue entered with a kendo stick of her own, but it was Storm who went to work early with a variety of weapons, including a stop sign she played like a guitar, as “Natural Born Killaz” likely played in everyone’s heads. Somehow, Blue battled back and found a staple gun, which she used across Storm’s backside, chest and … nether regions. Yes, you read that right. Taz was speechless. While Blue remained in control for the next few minutes, the two fought back outside on the guardrail, trading shots until Blue knocked Storm down with a street sign disguised as a Tony Schiavone appreciation banner. Storm immediately turned the table by sweeping out Blue’s leg, sending her face first into the railing. A scheming Storm revealed a table covered by mousetraps before eating some cheese and offering it to the commentary team. Only Excalibur accepted. Storm trapped Blue’s finger in one of the mouse traps, yet it wasn’t enough to deter Blue. She powerbombed Storm from the apron onto the trap-covered table. As the traps continued to trigger on Storm as she lay on the table, Blue introduced a chair into the match, getting Storm back in the ring. Storm gained control of the chair and wore it out all over Blue before hitting a DDT, yet Blue was somehow able to kick out. The Philly Street Fight got a new weapon when Storm brought in an electrified bug swatter, which she put across Blue’s backside multiple times. With Blue in trouble in the corner, she was able to fight out with a powerbomb onto a trash can, but this time, Storm kicked out. The 2300 Arena sign Storm found earlier came back into play when she lodged it across a downed Blue in the corner and crashed into it with a hip attack. One Storm Zero later and the AEW Women’s World Champion was victorious.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: $500K 10-Man Tag – The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta) & the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) def. Brodido (ROH World Champion Bandido and Brody King) & The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
We started off with ROH World Champion Bandido and the financially-motivated Nick Jackson. Matt Jackson almost immediately got illegally involved, but that was quickly seen by referee Rick Knox, who broke it up. The desperation of the Bucks was on full display. Brody King and Bandido went into some of their tandem offense, and while their wrestling moves were great, King still wasn’t ready to do the Macarena with Bandido. Samoa Joe also had no interest in dancing, but he did enjoy punishing Wheeler Yuta with jabs as the Philadelphia crowd egged him on over and over again. Katsuyori Shibata got into the mix, but Yuta found some separation to get a tag into Claudio Castagnoli. Everything broke down as everyone started to brawl, although the Bucks tried to avoid Powerhouse Hobbs and King. They were sent to the outside, where King flattened them with a dive before sending them into the waiting Hobbs to do more damage. With Castagnoli isolated in the ring, he was ping-ponged around before Bandido hit him with a frog splash, but it was only good enough for a two! The Bucks had some miscommunication on the outside, which Bandido took advantage of until Moxley laid him out to shift the advantage to his side. After suffering a lot of damage, Bandido was able to get a little window to make a tag, but his entire team was attacked before that could happen. Just when it seemed like the Bucks were getting it together, Bandido was able to separate them and hit a cutter on Matt before making a much-needed tag to Hobbs. Hobbs went corner to corner with splashes to both Moxley and Castagnoli, as the crowd punctuated each connection with chants of “BEEF!” Marina Shafir distracted the referee so Yuta could hit a chair shot on Hobbs, but it had no effect. That brought King in the ring to hit a superplex ahead of the Second Shooter. Bandido was unable to connect and the match continued. Bandido attempted to take on the Young Bucks by himself, but Matt blocked a monkey flip and trapped Bandido in a pinning predicament while Nick illegally assisted out of the referee’s view to earn the three count and $500K!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Daniel Garcia seemingly turned heel, siding with the Death Riders against Darby Allin in a post-main event brawl.
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s Dynamite delivered a strong balance of storytelling and in-ring action, keeping momentum rolling in the company’s final week of residenct in the 2300 Arena. The opening contest set the tone with high energy and crisp pacing, while standout matches later in the night showcased both established stars and rising talent. The women’s division got meaningful spotlight, adding intrigue to ongoing rivalries and teasing what’s to come at All Out. Promos and backstage segments advanced key storylines without dragging the flow of the show, and the main event provided a satisfying payoff post-match that hopefully kick starts the rise of Daniel Garcia (and he drops the dancing gimmick once and for all). While not perfect, this episode was an engaging, well-rounded two hours that flew by and did its true role – selling the forthcoming All Out pay-per-view big time!