wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s AEW Dynamite Review 7.22.26
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...SICKOS! It’s Wednesday, you know what that means! AEW Dynamite is LIVE tonight from The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tennessee, and tonight is the go-home episode for the company’s flagship show heading into Redemption on Sunday! But as we all know, AEW doesn’t take the go-home show lightly and still delivers an amazing show as if it were any other week. To that end, tonight’s show will feature two titles on the line, a strange bedfellows trios’ team, and a face-to-face encounter between the Women’s Champion and her challenger.
For more, let’s roll the Headlines!
So, how is everyone doing on this Hump Day? I don’t know how other sports fans feel when their teams lose, but I always prefer to lose BAD so we can wipe the slate clean and get back on the horse. The Phillies losing 2-1 in a game against the last two World Series winners hurts, a lot. But the Fever are rolling, and we’re less than a week away from Eagles training camp!
But enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to make the Dynamite go BOOM!
Tonight, Dynamite is LIVE from Nashville, Tennessee! Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz are bringing us the good word tonight!
Excalibur runs matches for Redemption and the main event for tonight. We kick it to Kenny Omega, and we see Will Ospreay poke his head in lol. Ospreay says this is exciting, you have Jon Moxley on one side and Kenny Omega on the other. He tells Ken that they are undefeated when they have tagged before. Ospreay says the last time they did, Omega was coming back from serious injury, so if you get tired, tag out. Kenny says you have a big match at Redemption as well, so don’t be shy to tag out lol. Jon Moxley arrives, he says there is no tension in this room, and he leaves. Well alright then lol.
We’re kicking this off with the TNT Title!
TNT Title Match: “The Jet” Kevin Knight (C) vs. Darby Allin
Knight tries to make his way around ring side to avoid Allin, but Darby attacks before the bell with a Tope Suicida! The battle heads out into the crowd, as Paul Turner looks on confused lol. Allin ends up clotheslining Knight back over the barricade and to the floor. Allin continues the assault and he sets Knight on top of the timekeeper’s area. Darby heads to the VERY top and he sends both Knight and himself crashing on top of and over the table!
Okay, both men are finally in the ring and the bell has rung! Knight tries to crawl away, so Allin gives chase. Knight gouges his eyes and he shoves Allin onto the barricade, splitting the uprights. Knight off the barricade with a flying back elbow to Allin. Allin rolls into the ring, but Knight takes the steps apart. Knight grabs Allin and pulls him out of the ring and slaps him. He slams Darby’s face off the ring steps, and Knight uses the steps as a catapult, as Darby’s face causes the top of the steps to go flying.
Knight breaks the count, rolls Allin into the ring, and gets a two on the pin. We see Allin is busted open above the right eye, so Knight goes after it. He taunts the fans before putting Allin on the top rope. Allin stops Knight with shots to the back, and Allin hits an Avalanche Code Red with an extra revolution! A standard Code Red follows for a two. Both men end up on the apron, where Allin traps the arm of Knight in the ring post and he hammers away on him. Knight falls to the floor, allowing Allin to hit him with the Coffin Drop! A-E-DUB chants, and we’re heading out for a break!
Knight and Allin are down in the middle of the ring as we return. That collision seems tepid compared to what we saw before the break lol. Knight scores with an enziguri and a tilt-a-world backbreaker for a two. Knight stalks Allin and kicks him in the head. He looks to suplex Allin, but Darby escapes and looks for the Scorpion Death Drop. Knight has other ideas, and he throws Allin into Turner, and the ref is down!
Knight heads to the floor and grabs his TNT Title. He looks to crack Darby in the head with it, but Allin with the drop step and the Scorpion Death Drop proper! Allin picks up the TNT Title belt and stares at it, but he throws it down and goes to the corner. He takes way too long and Knight trips him up. Knight grabs his title and hits Allin in the back with it before setting him up in the Tree of WHOA! Knight goes Coast-to-Coast and hits the Dropkick! Knight to the top, he hits the UFO Splash and, despite the slow count from Turner, he retains the title.
WINNER: Kevin Knight (And still!)
TIME: 11:20 (from bell to bell)
THOUGHTS: There was a small part of me, perhaps, that thought Allin would take the TNT Title from Knight here and he would be on a line down heading into the World Title match at Redemption, but that wasn’t the case, and Knight continues to build upon one of the best TNT title reigns so far.
RATING: ***3/4
Post-match, the PROTOSTAR is here, which doesn’t make Knight very happy. The coin drops, and the RAINMAKER is here! It will be ProtoKada and Brodido, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
The Remarkable Renee Paquette is in the ring with a crap ton of Don Callis Family Members. Mark Davis says he may have a National Title match if Andrade El Idolo can scrap himself off the ground after the beating he gave him in Boston. Kevin Knight says that he knows he will become Jet Two-Belts on Sunday, and he also set the record with TNT Title defenses, a record that Fletcher couldn’t match. He doesn’t need the Don Callis Family to retain his title.
Kyle Fletcher calls out Knight for being arrogant and tells him to not touch his title belt lol. Fletcher says he will do one better; not only will there be nobody at ringside when he faces Bandido at Redemption, but there will be nobody at ring side for this tag match. Okada shakes his head in approval, and Fletcher shoves the mic into Knight’s chest. Well, that was an interesting turn.
Brodido are here for this match!
Bandido and Brody King vs. Kazuchika Okada and International Champion Kyle Fletcher
Fletcher and Bandido start this one off in a potential Redemption preview. Fletcher gets the better of Bandido and gives him the finger guns. Bandido shrugs it off with a dropkick, hits a flying head scissor, and he shows Kyle how the finger guns work. Bandido tags in King, and they work over Fletcher. Bandido climbs onto the shoulders of King, he hits a splash from his shoulders, King hits a back splash, and we get a double team face buster into a kick from King. Despite all of this, Fletcher STILL kicks out at two.
Fletcher and Bandido attempt to suplex one another, but Okada with the blind tag and he kicks Bandido in the face. King enters the ring, chops are traded, King misses his charge, and Fletcher and Okada hit a double team suplex. Bandido is back, but he gets a double flapjack from the heels. Fletcher wants to shake hands with Okada, and Kazuchika accepts as we hit the break.
Fletcher grabs Bandido by the hair and mocks King as we return. Fletcher with a cheap shot to King and he hits Bandido with a scoop slam. Tag to Okada, who is looking for the Tombstone, but Bandido escapes and alludes both men to tag in King. Brody feeds them both chops, sending Fletcher to the apron. Okada sends King to the apron, but Brody catches Kyle with a DVD on the apron! Back in the ring, and King with a big lariat on Okada for a two.
King looking Gonzo Bomb, but Okada kicks his way free and he hits the over the knee neck breaker. Fletcher gets the tag, and he hits his running corner kick. Brainbuster attempt, but King reverses and hits the Bossman Slam for a two. Bandido gets the tag, and Fletcher and Bandido lay in the strikes. Bandido off the ropes, but Fletcher catches Bandido with a thrust kick! Bandido with a Destroyer, but Okada barely makes the save!
King and Okada fight to the floor, as Bandido eyes up Fletcher for the 21-Plex. Kyle holds on to the ropes and hits a half-and-half. Fletcher off the ropes, but Bandido pops up Fletcher into the air and he gets a two. King crushes Fletcher in the corner, and Bandido hits a Frog Splash, but Kyle kicks out at 2.9! Brodido look for their tag team finisher, but Okada intercepts Bandido. Okada looking Rainmaker, but Bandido moves and he hits Fletcher! Okada is all, “Oh well!” lol. King with a discus lariat to Okada, and Bandido hits the 21-Plex on Fletcher for the win!
WINNERS: Brodido
TIME: 13:25
THOUGHTS: Fantastic match. The DCF drama will continue to build after that “accidental” Rainmaker from Okada to Fletcher. Brodido kill it as always.
RATING: ****
Post-match, Okada “begs for forgiveness” from Fletcher, but Kyle losses his mind and screams at Okada. Kazuchika heads up the ramp, and we get a stare down between Champions. Fletcher, Mark Davis, and Lance Archer look to jump Brodido, but here comes Andrade El Idolo! Davis mocks him with the GTS motion, but the heels back down anyway.
Video package for the Jericho and Tommaso Ciampa No-Holds Barred match this Sunday.
Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy is here! Mick will be the moderator for the Thekla and Willow Nightingale face-to-face segment, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Mick is on the ramp when we return. He welcomes us AEW Sickos back, and he introduces Thekla to the ramp first. Thekla arrives with both Skye Blue and Julia Hart as they pose and Hart and Blue take off. Thekla tells his girls to kill it, and she introduces herself to Mick. She is Thekla two belts, BABY! We don’t have a lot of time, so let’s cut this shit short and bring out our home girl.
Mick wants to introduce someone very near and dear to his heart and out comes Willow Nightingale! She hugs Mick and he says it’s great to see her. Willow says it is great to not only see Mick, but everyone here tonight! Yes, even Thekla! I mean, at least this is face-to-face and not a sneak attack from behind. Willow says that there is only one match standing between her and achieving her dream, and she will take the World Title from Thekla.
Thekla mocks this proclamation and she says Willow is just full of rainbows and smiles, but she knows it is a facade. She puts on a brave face and smiles, but she knows that Willow has venom inside. And she is going to beat that out of her and she’ll see who is really behind the mask.
Willow says that Thekla and her Toxic gimmick is a facade. She makes fun of Thekla’s accent and says she talks so big because she is so small. But it’s gotten you two belts, but she is only worried about the Women’s Title. And you are just a SHORTCUT to me winning that.
Mick has to keep the ladies separated. He says that Willow and himself have all lot in common; they’ve been Champions on TBS, they have been beaten up and smiled through it anyway, although he is sure Willow’s smile had more teeth than his did lol. Thekla tells Mick to shut the hell up, and Willow says Thekla is talking like the dumb bitch now. Willow says Mick did some sick and twisted things in the ring, and so can Willow. She is putting all of her blood, sweat, and tears into this match.
Thekla wants to know if Willow just stole her line, you know that is Her’s right? She says that Willow can keep smiling after she has pissed on her clouds and made her stop smiling. Thekla hits Willow in the ear with the mic around Mick’s back. She hits her again, causing Willow to roll down the ramp and into the ring. Thekla takes both of her titles off and mocks Mick. She takes her actual belt off, but Willow hits her with the POUNCE, PERIOD! Thekla regains her composure on the floor, while Willow tells her JUST SMILE ANYWAY!
Incoming video package for the TBS Title match between Hikaru Shida and Maya World.
Excalibur hypes up the Women’s title matches on Sunday and then lets us know that Willow and Maya will team up on Collision to face Shida and Thekla! Noice!
GUNS UP, SWITCHBLADES DOWN!
Switchblade Jay White vs. Clark Connors
The bell rings as the fans are clearly behind White. Jay approaches Connors, but Clark heads to the floor for separation. He mocks the GUNS UP, and it continues to be a game of cat and mouse. Connors THINKS White left the ring; Jay does the SHOOSH motion and almost gets the Bladerunner. White with a side headlock, Connors shoots him off, Jay goes running, and he floors Clark with a shoulder tackle. Strikes are traded, we get a battle for arm control, and White takes Connors to the mat. White mocks Connors by slapping his ribs and then his arse lol.
White pulls Connors down to the mat by his hair, hits an elbow, and gets a two on the pin. The fight heads to the floor, where White drops Connors on the ring apron face first. White with a body blow in the corner, and Connors feigns being in pain. White sends Connors back into the ring, White shoves Grandpa Knox out of the way, but that allows Connors the chance to kick White away and he hits a SPEAR through the ropes! Both men are down on the ramp as we head out for the break.
Connors is mocking White and gouging his eyes as we return. White knocks the GUNS UP motion again, does the D-X SUCK IT motion, and he hits White with a running shoulder tackle. He throws White into the barricade, and he shoves a match in White’s eye. Connors sits White in the chair, backs way up, and looks for a SPEAR, but Connors ends up running into the chair.
White rolls into the ring, and Connors smashes the chair like a sore loser before getting back into the ring. White catches Connors charging in and he hits him with a Dragon Screw. A chop, hammer throw, and a back body drop follow from Jay. White with some more chops and he plants Connors with a DDT for a two. White looking for the Bladerunner, but Connors goes back to the eyes. Connors goes running and he hits a disoriented White with a SPEAR! White fights off a suplex, he kicks the leg of Connors and hits the Urnage for a two.
Connors with corner strikes, but White shrugs them off and hits a German. Connors rolls through and hits one of his own, and he lines up White for a SPEAR. White catches Connors with the Bladerunner, but Connors escapes. White kicks him in the face, another Bladerunner attempt, but Connors hits a Powerslam for a two. Connors again looking SPEAR, but White catches him with a front guillotine! White turns Connors over and arches up, causing Connors to tap out!
WINNER: Switchblade Jay White
TIME: 12:35
THOUGHTS: Not a bad match. There was a good bit of repetition with some of the moves, but we’ll allow it. This was White’s first singles match in over 14 months, and he didn’t look bad, but it may take a little bit longer for him to get back into peak Switchblade form.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, Connors is a sore loser and looks to attack, but White hits the Bladerunner proper! David Finlay is here and he has his shillelagh back and he hits White in the face. The BBG are here to run the Dogs off.
We see a spot for the AEW World Tag Team Title Match on Sunday. The Champions themselves are in the back. Adam Copeland goes to talk, but here comes Claudio Castagnoli and PAC! They beat the crap out of the Champions, and PAC calls them stupid for challenging them in the first place. On Sunday, they will ruin the Champion’s homecoming, and they will prove just how much better they are.
Our Women’s Tag Team Title match is up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Julia Hart and Skyle Blue won the STARDOM trios’ titles this past week, can they add AEW gold? Divine Dominion get a pretty cool video wall on their way out.
AEW Women’s World Tag Team Titles No-DQ Match: Divine Dominion (C) vs. The Sisters of Sin
Skye and Julia attack the Champions while they are on the apron, choking them out with kendo sticks. The Champions try to fight back, but they end up getting clotheslined to the floor. Skye to the apron, she lines up Megan but instead kicks Lena in the face. Skye and Julia dig out some toys from under the ring, including a table being set up. Kind of an underwhelming reaction to the table lol.
Divine Dominion look to regain control, but Skye goes wild with the kendo stick on both Kross and Bayne. Hart lines up Bayne with a screwdriver, but she ends up hitting Skye with it instead. Hart goes to walk the top rope and looks for a snap Rana, but Kross catches her out. Bayne places a chair on the top corner and Lena drops Julia face first onto the chair. We see Skye is busted open, as Kross pulls her back into the ring. The champions put a chair in Skye’s face, and Bayne fires another chair into that one as we head out for the break.
We see a table set up on the ramp, and Bayne is standing on top of two chairs! TANDEM POWERBOMB FROM SKYE AND JULIA TO MEGAN AND THROUGH THE TABLE! The Sisters set up Kross for the front face buster and double thrust kick. The pin, but Kross kicks out at two. We see Bayne crawl back to the ring, as Lena does her best to fight off both challengers. Lena kicks the garbage can and screams at Mike Posey lol. Bayne is back with a German to Julia. The cover, but Skye shoves Lena into the pile to break up the pin. WOMEN’S WRESTLING chants, as Skye clocks Lena with a thrust kick. Bayne floors her with a lariat, so Julia hits Megan with a thrust kick. Kross takes out Hart and everyone is down!
Both teams grab their respective title belts, and Bayne gets rid of her jersey! Julia and Skye miss, but they counter a double suplex with a double DDT to the Champions! Skye covers Kross, but Lena kicks out at two. Hart and Bayne fight on the floor, as we see Kross set up Blue on the top rope. Skye fights her off and hits the Cheeky Nandos! Kross is still stuck in the corner, as Skye climbs. MEGAN GRABS SKYE AND CHOKESLAMS HER FROM THE APRON AND THROUGH A TABLE! Hart is back and she applies the flying Octopus to Bayne! Megan eventually fights free and hits the Tombstone Piledriver! The Divine Downfall follows, and the Champions retain!
WINNERS: Divine Dominion (And still!)
TIME: 12:50
THOUGHTS: None of these ladies held anything back and give full credit to Skye and Julia for giving the Champions arguably the toughest test that they have had yet. But they fell short, and so we are left to wonder who could possibly dethrone the Champions next.
RATING: ***3/4
The Bang Bang Gang are in the back. Juice Robinson wants to know where the Dogs are running to! He wants to chain the Dogs up and proposes a double chain match at Redemption! Jay White is helped to his feet, and he says they will give them the beating that their fathers should have. GUNS UP!
Our main event is right around the corner!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
We’re back, and I was legit worried that Excalibur had his balls pinched because his voice went too high lol.
The Don Callis Family (Jake Doyle, Brian Cage, and CMLL World Champion Hechicero) vs. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley, and Will Ospreay
Hechicero and Ospreay to start this one. The Alchemist grounds Ospreay, Will manages to escape and he grabs control of the elbow. Hechicero escapes and we have a stand-off. Hechicero trips up Ospreay midflight, but Ospreay is back with a snap Rana. Omega gets the tag, and he works over the arm of the CMLL World Champion. Quick tag to Ospreay, who rings the arm. Tag to Moxley, who comes in and rings the arm. Another tag to Omega, as Ospreay hits a double axe from the top.
Omega wants to tag in Ospreay again, but Will tells him to tag in Moxley instead. They take too long telegraphing this, and Hechicero escapes by gouging the eyes of Moxley. Tag to Doyle, who lays in kicks in the corner to Moxley. Jon sends Doyle to the floor and hits an Elbow Tope that causes Doyle to almost move the announce desk. Back in the ring, and Moxley mocks a tag to Omega, which allows Doyle the chance to takeover. Cage chokes Moxley in the corner, but Jon gets out of town and tags in Ospreay.
Will uses Doyle as a human wall and hits him with an enziguri. Doyle stumbles to the corner and Cage gets the blind tag. Doyle pancakes both Omega and Ospreay, Cage with a double suplex to both men, and Hechicero throws Moxley into the barricade on the floor. That will take us to what should be tonight’s final break.
Cage is clobbering the back of Ospreay as we return. Will says ENOUGH BRUV and hits a corkscrew kick to Cage. Now Will has a decision as to who to tag in, and he tags in Omega! Kenny with sledgehammer shots to Cage. He picks him up, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE, and here comes the moonsault for a two. Cage is able to turn the tables with an F-5 and he tags in Hechicero. The Alchemist scores with a big knee strike in the corner and he locks up the legs of the World Champion! Moxley is back on the apron, but he’s awfully conflicted over this. Omega crawls towards the corner, but Hechicero turns it into a cross-arm break instead.
Moxley steps into the ring and stomps on Hechicero, releasing the hold. Doyle is in and he goes after Moxley. Omega saves Jon from a double team suplex, and they work together to rid the ring of Cage and Doyle. Here comes Hechicero, but Ospreay takes him out with a springboard clothesline. Ospreay and Moxley start the Death Riders train, but Omega wants in lol. We’re left with Omega and Cage, as Kenny looks for a Snap Dragon. Moxley comes in to assist with a “kick” to the face of Cage, allowing Kenny to hit the Snap German.
Omega accidently knees Moxley in the face, allowing Hechicero to hit the flying Mare for a two. GTS from Cage to Omega is followed by another body block from Doyle. The pin, but Ospreay makes the save. The DCF work them over and here comes a double suplex attempt, but Moxley is back and he drops Hechicero on his splash zone. The CMLL Champion eats a Hidden Blade/V-Trigger combination from Ospreay and Omega and the good guy’s win!
WINNERS: Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, and Will Ospreay
TIME: 14:20
THOUGHTS: We all knew there was going to be a high level of intrigue over whether or not Omega and Moxley could work together, but by the end of it, Ospreay was also flipping mad at Omega as well! The match itself was pretty good and served its purpose as the main event of the show.
RATING: ***3/4
Post-match, Omega wants to make niceties with Moxley, but Jon isn’t having it. Omega shoves Ospreay to the mat, and Omega and Moxley start fighting. Ospreay gets in the middle of it, and here come the Young Bucks! Moxley and Ospreay fight with the Bucks, and here comes the Don Callis C-Team. Omega takes care of both Trent and Rocky and is looking for a tandem V-Trigger, but Kevin Knight LITERALLY flies over the top rope and smashes Kenny in the face with his TNT Title belt! Knight picks up the World Title as well and poses with it to end the show, and with that, we are done!
