‘AEW: Dynamite’ Review (Mar 25th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Dynamite, which was broadcast live from St. Paul, Minnesota – 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: Kenny Omega def. Swerve Strickland
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
We kicked off with a high-stakes, historic clash. A distraction from Prince Nana gave Swerve the opening to take early control, but Omega fired back with dives, V-Triggers and relentless offense, battering Swerve around ringside. Swerve slowed things down with submissions and counters, while Omega kept stacking near-falls with You Can’t Escape and brutal knee strikes. The turning point came when Swerve resorted to a low blow on the apron, swinging momentum back his way. He followed with a piledriver on the barricade, a House Call and multiple stomps, yet Omega somehow kept kicking out. Frustration crept in as Swerve failed to put him away. Omega rallied, surviving a Vertebreaker and unloading with V-Triggers before finally landing the One-Winged Angel for the win, securing his spot as the new #1 contender to the AEW World Championship.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Daniel Garcia & Marina Shafir) def. SkyFlight’s Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin) & Zayda Steel
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moxley and Garcia jumped things before the bell, immediately taking control on the outside while Shafir went after Steel in the ring. Top Flight and Steel fired back with quick tags and high-flying offense, including triple dives that briefly swung momentum their way. That didn’t last. Moxley grounded Dante and isolated him in the corner as the Death Riders slowed the pace and took over. Steel brought the fight to Shafir with a flurry, but outside interference from Wheeler Yuta cut her momentum short. Chaos broke out late, with near saves and distractions all around, but it ended decisively. Garcia locked Darius in the DragonTamer while Moxley stomped him mid-submission, sealing a ruthless win for the Death Riders.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: “Speedball” Mike Bailey def. Rocky Romero
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Romero mocked Bailey’s kicks at the start, but wound up eating those words when Bailey dropped him twice, followed by a kick flurry that sent Romero to the outside. Bailey followed Romero out with a triangle moonsault that was right on target! Romero used a cheap tactic to get a brief advantage and threw Bailey over the top, but Bailey skinned the cat as Romero celebrated far too early. Romero turned into a roundhouse kick followed by a spin kick in the corner from Bailey! Bailey went up top and smashed Romero in the back with Ultima Weapon to get the quick and dominant victory!
My Score: SQUASH-TASTIC out of 5
Match #4: The Dogs (David Finlay & Clark Connors) def. The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cassidy started fast alongside Strong, using quick tags and double-team offence to keep Finlay and Connors off balance, including a slick double hurricanrana. The momentum shifted when the Dogs caught Cassidy on a dive and took control, isolating him and cutting off Strong. After a long beatdown, Cassidy finally created space and tagged Strong, who ran wild with knees, backbreakers and a flurry of offence. The match broke down into chaos, with both teams trading big near-falls and momentum swings. In the end, the Dogs proved too ruthless. A chop to Cassidy’s knee set up their finish, as Connors speared him out of Finlay’s vertical suplex for The Full Clip, sealing the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: AEW Women’s World Championship – Thekla def. Mina Shirakawa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mina came out serious and aggressive, taking the fight straight to Thekla with a draping DDT, a ringside suplex and a tornillo for an early near-fall. Thekla weathered the storm and turned things around on the outside, targeting Mina’s neck and slowing the pace while mocking her usual persona. Back in the ring, Mina fired up again with knees, a slingblade and a top-rope dropkick, even locking in a single-leg crab, but couldn’t put the champion away. Thekla survived, barely, and the match descended into a gritty back-and-forth. In the end, Thekla went full opportunist. After a failed belt shot, she secretly used brass knuckles to crack Mina mid-move, stealing the pin to retain the AEW Women’s World Title.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: No Countout Match: Darby Allin def. RUSH
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
RUSH wasted no time, launching Allin off the top and battering him around ringside with brutal throws into barricades and steel steps. Allin was left busted open and barely hanging on as RUSH continued the punishment, even biting him during the chaos. Despite medical checks, Allin refused to stay down, finding bursts of offence with a Coffin Drop across the ropes, a torpedo dive and a reckless dropkick off the top to the floor. RUSH kept coming though, shrugging off damage and dishing out heavy strikes. In the closing stretch, RUSH looked in control, but Allin snatched the moment. Countering out of danger, he jackknifed RUSH into a flash pin for a shock victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Dynamite was very much a tale of one standout classic surrounded by a largely solid, if unspectacular, supporting card. Kenny Omega vs Swerve Strickland absolutely delivered on its “historic clash” billing, packing in drama, brutality and a finish that actually meant something, with Omega becoming the #1 contender. That alone elevates the entire episode. Elsewhere, things were more hit-and-miss. The Death Riders’ six-person win felt more about dominance than excitement, while Mike Bailey’s destruction of Rocky Romero was fun but blink-and-you-miss-it. The Dogs vs Conglomeration and Thekla vs Mina Shirakawa were both perfectly serviceable without ever kicking into a higher gear. Darby Allin vs RUSH brought the chaos and violence you’d expect, with a gritty, hard-hitting finish that helped close the show strong. A great main event, a brutal No Countout match, and a card that never dipped too low… but also rarely hit top gear beyond Omega vs Swerve.
