There was one big question heading into AEW Dynamite (July 15, 2026). The Redemption PPV is next weekend, and the main event hadn’t been established yet. We received that answer for Kenny Omega’s first world title defense. Plus, three more championship bouts were booked, the Painmaker returned, Mercedes Moné main-evented in her hometown, and more from MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts.
Redemption main event
Prior to Dynamite, the only match on the Redemption card was Thekla defending
the AEW Women’s World Championship against Willow Nightingale. It was unclear how AEW would proceed in the men’s world title picture. Kenny Omega won the gold last week from MJF, and promotion is full speed ahead for Omega versus Will Ospreay at All In in Wembley Stadium. Who would Omega face at the PPV in between?
The answer is Kevin Knight.
Omega was given the spotlight for his world championship celebration. The Young Bucks presented the proper belt to replace MJF’s Triple B.
Next on the guest list was Will Ospreay. Pause for a moment to soak in the motivational speech from Jon Moxley earlier in the show. Mox’s message was not to complicate the simple things. The hard work is done for Ospreay. He won the Owen Hart Cup, and his neck is strong. (Somewhere, Matt Taven is shedding a tear of pride. Neck strong!) Ospreay is close to the finish line. Don’t hesitate when it is time to pull the trigger at All In. Moxley’s sensei philosophy is always a plus on the show.
Back to Omega, Ospreay dished out respect. Omega was his inspiration in developing to be one of the best. But, he’s not happy being number two right now. That lead to hype for All In. Ospreay framed it as real life Goku versus Vegeta. I’ve never seen Dragon Ball Z, so I request that all you knowledgeable Cagesiders to post 1,000 word dissertations in analyzing that comparison in the comments. Please and thank you.
Here comes Knight. The TNT champion wanted Omega to honor MJF’s promise. Omega scoffed at that notion, but he will grant Knight a shot anyway. Omega tried to convince Knight that he doesn’t need Don Callis corrupting him. Omega sees his potential to reach the top the right way. Knight closed in an amusing way to sell the fight. Knight only wants greatness, then he sucker punched Omega. The scene turned into chaos with Allin attacking Knight and the Death Riders arriving to protect Ospreay from the Callis Family.
AEW walked the line between hyping All In and trying to create interest for Omega at Redemption. I don’t think anyone reading this believes Knight will upset Omega. This is a lame duck challenger in terms of storyline. I’m looking at the situation as a reward for Knight’s great work of late, and he gets the PPV main event experience. AEW did the same thing for Kyle Fletcher during the reign of Hangman Page. Omega versus Knight should deliver the goods in the ring, but it might be a struggle to create compelling drama.
Let’s jam through the rest of Dynamite. Catch up on all the details with excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) defeated Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia to retain the titles. The young boys used whippersnapper tactics on the old men to isolate Cope. Hot tag to Christian running wild. That flurry of offense was so smooth. There was monkey business in the corner with Yuta trying to remove the turnbuckle pad. With the referee’s back turned, Christian outsmarted Garcia for a kick to the groin. Yuta turned around to be popped up by Christian into a spear from Copeland. Christian punned Yuta for the win.
I like how the action played into young men versus old men. When Yuta and Garcia attacked, they windmilled their arms at high speeds to show that they can move faster. On the finish, Christian relied on his veteran savvy, and the Death Riders didn’t see it coming. Great job by Yuta turning around with a smile like his plan was coming together, only to be speared into oblivion by Copeland.
Of note, the Young Bucks were shown watching C&C’s win from the crowd. Copeland saluted them. This could be the direction for Redemption or All In.
Afterward, the Dogs and Claudio Castagnoli attacked C&C. The Bang Bang Gang, minus Jay White, entered the fray for a melee. David Finlay eyed Christian for shillelagh violence. That’s when Switchblade arrived fashionably late for the save. Tension was teased between Christian and White. Copeland eased any misunderstandings from Christian.
Fun chaos. One request though. Give us a video package for why Christian hates White, because I don’t remember that storyline at all.
Andrade defeated Jake Doyle. The push is on for El Idolo. He received a pre-match vignette as the Latino Man with the ladies. Andrade also had a plan for the Callis Family numbers. He pulled out MJF’s Dynamite Diamond Ring, which was allegedly gifted by Will Ospreay from last week.
In addition to the usual selfie spot, Andrade had new escorts for his entrance. The señoritas love Andrade.
The hook for the match was a win by Andrade to earn a shot at Mark Davis for the AEW National Championship. This match was a prelude for the PPV rendezvous. Doyle was great hossing with power, in a similar style to Davis. Andrade was slick with lucha libre. In the end, Andrade uncorked a back elbow strike and finished with the DM. AEW made the national title match official for Redemption.
It’s nice to see Andrade receiving more bells and whistles to support his push. AEW leaned even more into his sex appeal over the past week with vignettes and extra ladies. El Idolo is hot right now, and this path is effective in building him to a higher level. Winning the national title on PPV should be a satisfying moment for the fans. I like the detail of Andrade possessing MJF’s ring. Without the world title in his grasp anymore, this creates a reason for MJF to come for Andrade. As for the match with Doyle, that was a mighty fine TV bout. Both men looked strong. Doyle was a beast, and that makes Andrade’s win more impressive.
Brodido defeated Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto. Brody King did the slamming, and Bandido did the high-flying on a frog splash to pin both opponents.
The real purpose for squeezing in Brodido on this episode came backstage when they interrupted Kyle Fletcher. Bandido stuck a wanted poster on the man. More on that in a bit.
AEW International Championship: Kyle Fletcher (c) defeated Komander to retain the title. Fletcher was in the zone tonight. He brought the cheekiness by purposely wedging up his trunks to show his buttocks. That’s a commercial break bonus as seen on myAEW. In another funny moment, Fletcher brushed off strikes, challenged Komander to dish out more, then the next kick sent him into the Twilight Zone. This clip only shows the bump. The exchange was funny to see a pompous blowhard get knocked silly.
Komander thrilled with offense. He demonstrated fancy footwork on the ropes for a 450 splash. When going for the Cielito Lindo finisher, Flecther shoved him off the ropes. Komander didn’t skip a beat and transitioned into a springboard Mexican destroyer. Again, this clip is only the end of the sequence.
In the end, Fletcher caught a moonsault to counter for the brainbuster to win.
After the match, Fletcher ripped the mask of Komander. Konsuke Takeshita ran in to clean Fletcher’s clock. Kazuchika Okada was right behind for the Rainmaker on Takeshita. Juicy drama alert! Fletcher and Okada both picked up the title belt for a slight tug of war. Brodido ran out, and the Callis Family retreated. Brodido and Takeshita stood tall. I couldn’t help but laugh at how Komander wasn’t involved in the ‘stand tall’ moment. Brodido posed with Takeshita and completely forgot about poor Komander.
Backstage, Fletcher was game to defend the title against Bandido at Redemption.
Excellent chemistry in the ring between Fletcher and Komander. Fletcher has the size to manhandle the luchador, and he also has the athleticism to take Komander’s cool moves. The staredown between ProtOkada gives me goosebumps thinking of that potential matchup. Bandido gets the PPV spotlight again to challenge Fletcher. That match could steal the show.
Darby Allin defeated Brian Cage. This match was like the Incredible Hulk rampaging on the toothpick. Cage pummeled Allin with tremendous strength. Allin relied on his wits to turn the tide. He used his belt to sweep the feet out from under Cage crashing onto the ring steps. Allin landed a Coffin Drop. Cage barely beat the ten-count back into the ring. Allin launched with urgency for a Coffin Drop to the back then a Coffin Drop to the chest for the pin. This fight left me wanting more for a rematch. Cage is great at serving a beating, and Allin is great at taking a beating. Allin’s intelligence for the finish was an excellent touch.
Mercedes Moné & Divine Dominion defeated Willow Nightingale, Maya World, & Hyan. Mercedes hit the Statement Maker on Hyan to win the main event. The action was fine. My issue is that the matchmaking wasn’t compelling at all to be featured for a 20-minute overrun. The result is meaningless, because there is no trios division for the women. Hyan eating the loss was the most predictable outcome. I’m not saying any of that is bad in a nutshell, but it’s not worthy for the main event starting after a full two hours. If AEW wants me to stay tuned for such a long overrun, give a better reason. The silver lining was hoss action between Willow and Megan Bayne. Willow’s spinebsuter and shoulder tackle to the Megasus were money.
Notes: Chris Jericho is back as the Painmaker to challenge Tommaso Ciampa for Redemption.
The Brawling Birds will drink and fight their way to Wembley to prove they are the best tag team in AEW.
Jack Perry is ready to break through to the upper level. AEW booked him against Nick Wayne for Collision.
The Conglomeration want challengers for the trios titles. The Demand stepped up as a trap for Jay Lethal and Swirl to attack from behind. Ricochet hinted that Lethal and his students could join the Demand.
Darby Allin will humble Kevin Knight by taking the TNT title next week on Dynamite. Jon Moxley also teased to Kenny Omega that some people can’t be anything else.
“Speedball” Mike Bailey assured Knight that the fans love him enough for forgiveness.
Harley Cameron is out of action indefinitely after the TBS title bout against Hikaru Shida from Collision. Queen Aminata made the save on Saturday, and Shida will defend the title against her on Collision.
Stud of the Show: Darby Allin
Allin took a licking from Brian Cage and kept his cool to outsmart the muscleman.
Match of the Night: Kyle Fletcher vs. Komander
Great chemistry as wrestlers and performers. Fletcher hammed it up, and Komander made him eat it.
Grade: B
Entertaining wrestling as always. The storylines rolled on the road to Redemption.
Share your thoughts about AEW Dynamite. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show? Who impressed you the most?
