411’s AEW Dynasty 2025 Preview

Well, fellow AEW fans and SICKOS, we are officially entering the month of April and that means but one thing. It means that 25% of the year is officially in the books and Spring (if it hasn’t already sprung) should be taking full effect for us in the Northern Hemisphere. Although, as of the time I am starting this preview (Tuesday morning, as sleep has alluded me) it’s 32 degrees here. Some Spring having sprung so far.

Oh, and in other news, April means that it is time for Dynasty, the next PPV offering from AEW. Emanating from the main campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this year’s edition of Dynasty will present a case of Déjà vu for the fans. At this show last year, Swerve Strickland was challenging for the AEW World Title, as he defeated then champion Samoa Joe for the title. This year, Strickland is back in the challenger’s role, as he opposes Jon Moxley for the company’s top prize.

That isn’t all we have though, of course, as we should be getting the culmination of the feud between TNT Champion Daniel Garcia and his challenger, Adam Cole (BAYBAY), in a no time limit and no outside interference match for Garcia’s title. In what could be a match of the night contender, Kenny Omega will make his first defense of the International Title in a 3-way dance including Ricochet and “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Chris Jericho will defend his Ring of Honor World Title against former champion Bandido, The Death Riders will defend the Trios’ Titles against Team Rated FTR, and Toni Storm will try to stop “The Megasus” Megan Bayne and retain her Women’s Title.

Of course, I am sure that it will be far from everything in store for the show, so to find out more about what we have on tap, feel free to scroll on down!

Men’s Owen Hart Tourney Quarterfinals Match
Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher

Image Credit: AEW

You know, say what you want about the pairings in both the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Tournament, but there are pairs that cannot be random. Case in point, Mark Briscoe, and Kyle Fletcher, as both men have faced off in recent months and this would represent the rubber match.

During this past years Continental Classic tournament, both men were in the Blue League, and Briscoe was the only competitor to defeat Fletcher during league play. Back in February on Collision, Fletcher got his win back to even things up at one win each. Granted, both matches have been exceptional, and either man could have won each of the previous encounters, but the stakes are much higher in this third round than they were before. Even with Briscoe having defeated Fletcher in the CC, it didn’t stop Fletcher from winning the Blue League and losing in the semi-finals to former friend and ally turned enemy Will Ospreay. With the winner of this one advancing towards that coveted World Title shot (and the trophy and novelty belt that come with it), Fletcher needs this a little bit more than Briscoe does.

WINNER: Kyle Fletcher

Men’s Owen Hart Tourney Quarterfinals Match
Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight

Image Credit: AEW

You were going to be hard-pressed to pick ANYONE to defeat Will Ospreay in a single elimination tournament with a commemorative title belt, a trophy, and a future World Title shot on the line. That is more so true when you consider the fact that Kevin Knight, who was just recently signed to AEW as soon as two weeks ago, is the man opposing Ospreay in the Quarterfinals. And that’s no disrespect to Knight in the least, but these tournaments are made for guys like Ospreay to win, or at the very least, make a deep run.

To add some level of intrigue to this bout, we had the competitors in this match team up on this past week’s episode of Dynamite, as they defeated Blake Christian and Lee Johnson in a tag team match. And yet, no matter what level of respect there might be between the men, that all goes out the window when this one goes on this Sunday. Be happy for young Knight for earning a PPV payday so soon, but this is Ospreay’s match to lose.

WINNER: Will Ospreay

Women’s Owen Hart Tourney Quarterfinals Match
Mercedes Mone vs. Julia Hart

Image Credit: AEW

Much like the Ospreay and Knight match, the winner of this one shouldn’t be up for debate. However, to assume that there will be a definitive winner would be an insult to the woman who is currently not holding the TBS Title, but she was in fact a former holder of the belt herself. Yes, Julia Hart has the, as Mone said, “Tricks and magic” but will it be enough to deal Mercedes her first loss in AEW?

Hart has looked good since she returned from injury. From the intrigue of the vignettes that aired for her, to beating Jamie Hayter at Fight For the Fallen (although Jamie would get her revenge), to taking two out of three from Queen Aminata, Hart has not missed a beat. All this pales in comparison to what Mone has been able to accomplish, as she is not “Four Belts Mone” for nothing. And, of course, she is still undefeated within the confines of an AEW ring. This should be a good match, and Hart offers a strong challenge, but Mone is moving on in the tournament, as Mone seeks a fifth title to add to her collection.

WINNER: Mercedes Mone

ROH World Championship Title vs. Mask Match
Chris Jericho vs. Bandido

Image Credit: AEW

So, before I begin to discuss the match and the build-up, I must state the obvious (of course, I haven’t been the only one to do this) and that is the fact that this match is happening on an AEW PPV, when on May 1st, Supercard of Honor will be taking place for Ring of Honor. Granted, SOH is taking place later this year than it usually does (it usually happens the same weekend as WrestleMania), but why are we having this match here when it should be the main event of its own show?

At any rate, we do have it this Sunday instead, and it should be the end of the tyrannical run of Jericho as ROH Champion. The match stipulation would seem to lean into that theory as much as the near one-sided booking of this feud. Issues between Bandido and friends and The Learning Tree took a sharp and dark turn when, at Revolution Zero Hour, The Learning Tree ambushed Bandido’s brother Gravity, took his mask, upset their mother and sister, and forced Bandido to watch the whole thing happen. Weeks later, Bandido was able to recover his brother’s mask, and now he has less distractions heading into his title match.

The same can’t be said for Jericho, as he has been having issues with his disciples disappointing him, and he is taking his eye off the challenge presented by Bandido. If he continues to lose focus on the main goal, we could very well see Bandido keep his mask and reclaim the ROH World Title that he didn’t lose in the previous run of ROH.

WINNER: Bandido (NEW ROH World Champion)

AEW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Learning Tree

Image Credit: AEW

If I am not particularly interested in this match, it is not an indictment of the talent involved in the ring. If I’m being honest, there is a fine line between matches being thrown together out of nowhere and still being good, and matches being thrown together out of nowhere and not making a whole lot of sense. And while I feel that the latter might be more prevalent here, that doesn’t mean that it cannot deliver. Or, you know, it can’t go past ten minutes.

This match is more about the challengers and less about the champions, because we all know that Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin are made men and will lose the titles only when they feel like it. This is more about Big Bill and Bryan Keith who, for weeks, have had to take shots from Chris Jericho about being disappointed in them, to the point where Jericho told them to go out there and prove themselves. This resulted in Bill and Keith calling out the champions, beating Dante and Darius Martin two weeks ago on Collision, and beating a completely legitimate team on this past week’s episode of Dynamite. Even though the champions dismissed them, it was announced that Tony Khan made the match official for Dynasty.

All of that to say, the Hurt Syndicate isn’t losing this one.

WINNER: The Hurt Syndicate (Still AEW World Tag Team Champions)

AEW World Trios Championship Match
Death Riders vs. Rated FTR

Image Credit: AEW

The name of this game is having drama just for the sake of having it. The previously unified group of Cope (Just Cope), Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler (lovingly referring to themselves as Rated FTR) have seen cracks and fissures become visible on the surface, due to Harwood having issues keeping his anger in check. And going into a match with a well oiled machine like PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta, that could spell certain disaster for the challengers if they aren’t on the same page.

In another stroke of long-term storytelling, the havoc that the Death Riders unit has inflicted on the company has not left FTR and Cope (Just Cope) outside of it’s radius, as these problems can be traced back to Fight for the Fallen on New Year’s Day. What was supposed to be a feel-good homecoming for Asheville North Carolina’s own FTR was ruined when they were attacked outside the arena and had bags put over their heads by the Death Riders. Enlisting the help of their longtime friend Cope (Just Cope) also saw him get a World Title shot at Jon Moxley at Revolution (after a cavalcade of interference, he would eventually lose this match), so now the trio of Rated FTR will take aim at the Trio’s champions.

Well, at least Cash and Cope (Just Cope) want that, as Harwood wanted to call out the Hurt Syndicate for the Tag Team Titles instead. Seeds of discontent like this (and Harwood blindly shoving Cash to the mat at last week’s Collision, then Cash refusing to shake Dax’s hand) have led to speculation that there could be a turn in this match, although if there is or who does the turning remains to be seen.

WINNER: The Death Riders (STILL AEW World Trios Champions)

AEW TNT Championship No Outside Interference, No Time Limit Match
Daniel Garcia vs. Adam Cole (BAYBAY!)

Image Credit: AEW

Never let it be said that AEW cannot throw out the hook and bring you along to what should be an adamant yet satisfying conclusion, as this match is a testament. The mutual admiration society between The Undisputed Kingdom (the rechristened three man version of it, with Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) and Garcia and his cheerleader/mentor “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and his best friend “Cool Hand’ Angelo Parker has turned into a game of one upping the other between Cole and Garcia. These two have met before, but thanks to certain events, the conclusion has not been adamant, but this time, it will.

Third time is the charm for these guys to finally get a proper ending to the feud and find out who deserves to hold the TNT Title. The first time they met, the match was ruined by Shane Taylor Promotions, which kept the strange bedfellow nature between the UK and Garcia/Menard alive for a little longer. When Garcia defended against Cole again, the match went to the 20-minute time limit draw just as Cole was looking to lower the BOOM and potentially win. Despite Menard telling Garcia not to accept a request for another title shot from Cole, Garcia granted Cole another title shot and named said stipulations for this match. Whether it goes on as planned is another story, but here’s hoping that we get a decisive winner and a clear ending to this feud for the last time.

As for who wins this match, well, I hate to be THAT guy (okay, maybe not) but I was happy for Garcia winning the TNT Title, but it seems the title has lost a little luster and has fallen from the second most important title in AEW to the fourth most important title in the company. Could a change of guard help? Only one way to find out.

WINNER: Adam Cole (NEW AEW TNT Champion)

AEW Women’s Championship Match
TIMELESS Toni Storm vs. “The Megasus” Megan Bayne

Image Credit: AEW

Well, everyone, we have arrived at the point in time that we shouldn’t have yet. It’s obvious that Megan Bayne would be challenging for one of the women’s titles in AEW before long, but the consensus would seem to be that this is a little TOO early for her to be challenging for the AEW Women’s Title. This only becomes magnified by the fact that Toni Storm just won the title from Mariah May back at Grand Slam Australia in February, kicking off her record breaking fourth title reign.

But, for so long as we are here and we must figure out a way to make this work (well, we don’t, but Tony Khan does, at least), let me try and make the most sense out of this. Bayne has been unbeatable and flat-out dominant since her return to AEW (you might recall years ago she made her debut and wrestled on the now defunct AEW Dark, but injuries and commitments to STARDOM put that on hold) whether in singles action or in tag team action with Penelope Ford. Storm has done her best, what with her completely wacked out persona and her attempt to reform Thunderstorm…sorry, I meant THUNDER TITS…with Thunder Rosa, but nothing Storm has managed to do has even slowed down The Megasus.

Is Storm’s reign in trouble at Dynasty? Again, on the surface, it seems that way, as Bayne will be picking up her first major title in AEW. However, the one thing that you cannot take away from Storm is that she will find any way possible to win and retain her title. And, not that I am advocating for this at all, but let’s not kid ourselves when I say that Bayne has made some enemies in AEW already. For this to work, I can see Rosa and Ford getting involved in the match (possibly Kris Statlander, or even Kamille returning) to get Storm the “upset win” and retain her title over Bayne. It has the potential to be an overbooked mess, but hey, we shouldn’t have been here so soon anyway.

WINNER: TIMELESS Toni Storm (Still AEW Women’s Champion)

AEW International Championship Match
Kenny Omega vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Ricochet

Image Credit: AEW

Would it be exaggeration if I were to go out on the limb and say that this match not only has the potential to be the match of the night, but could settle in as a match of the year candidate? That is, of course, meant as no offense to anyone else on the card and what they are competing for, but come on, look who is going to be in this match. Everyone going into it is carrying various levels of momentum, and their styles would indicate a seamless mesh of skill and ring savvy.

At the top of this pyramid, Kenny Omega dethroned Konosuke Takeshita for the International Title at Revolution, and although he has yet to defend the title, he has kept himself busy in the meantime. In another corner of the pyramid, “Speedball” Mike Bailey debuted as the wildcard entrant into the International Title Tourney, defeating Frank “The Beast” Mortos to move to the final four, where he would be the one legitimate challenger to move on to face Omega. I mention that because, if you saw the 4-way match on Dynamite a couple of weeks ago, Ricochet managed to get himself in on part of the victory as well as getting his feet on the ropes to steal it. Obviously, this plays into his fresher and more awesome heel persona as of late, and his mic work has been some of the best in the company, punctuated by that catchy laugh. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s an Eagles fan, and wearing the championship hat will pop me.

As for who wins this match? There is a case for all the men to win it, but I can’t in good faith suggest that Omega, merely a month after winning the title, is going to lose it so soon. It’s also a bit foolhardy to suggest that Bailey takes the pin so early in his career, so it seems like Ricochet is going to be the scapegoat here.

WINNER: Kenny Omega (STILL AEW International Champion)

AEW World Championship Match
Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland

Image Credit: AEW

And so, we have arrived at our main event, and the latest challenger to pry the title away from Jon Moxley and rescue it from the briefcase that it resides in. This time around, it is Swerve, and if you weren’t aware, he has some history with winning the World Title at this event before.

At the very first edition of Dynasty last year, Strickland defeated then World Champion Samoa Joe to become the first black World Champion in AEW’s short history. This time again in April, at the second edition of Dynasty, Strickland is once more in position to become AEW World Champion, but this time, the challenge is more daunting not just because of how crazy Moxley is, but his pack of wolves known as The Death Riders.

This past week’s go-home episode of Dynamite may have given a clue as to how things might end up going at Dynasty if Strickland cannot find allies to neutralize the other members of the Death Riders. The show’s end scene saw Strickland receive a Ricola Bomb from Claudio Castagnoli into shards of broken glass. Despite that, Strickland proceeded to sit up undaunted and rise like a Terminator. While this must put some kind of doubt in the mind of Moxley, will it be enough for Strickland to withstand what the champion can throw at him and take the title off his hands?

Last month in the Revolution PPV preview, I picked Moxley to retain the title against Cope (Just Cope) because I didn’t see a scenario where it made sense to put the title on an older and more injury prone Cope (Just Cope). This time out, I don’t have the same reservations about picking against Moxley, but it does remain to be seen how plans may or may not determine the outcome of this match. For the sake of being wrong (and I am sure I will be) I am going to go with lightning striking twice in consecutive April’s, at consecutive Dynasties.

WINNER: Swerve Strickland (NEW AEW World Champion)

Well, that is it for this edition of my Dynasty PPV Preview! When the Zero Hour matches are announced (more than likely during this Saturday’s Collision), I will add those predictions to the comments section of this article.

Dynasty will be this Sunday, starting at 6:30PM with the Zero Hour, and the main card starting at 8:00PM. The show is available through all the usual means of purchase, and someday perhaps, will be available on HBO Max as well.