AEW’s Fright Night special ended with a bang when Queen Aminata upset Persephone to win the TBS Championship. Dynamite (Oct. 28, 2026) also featured Jon Moxley issuing a challenge for Anarchy in the Arena, Darby Allin surviving a TNT title defense, Ilja Dragunov’s next target, and more from Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.
Queen Aminata wins TBS Championship
Queen Aminata sent fright shivering down Persephone’s spine by winning the TBS Championship in an upset. Perse entered with cocky confidence
alongside Britt Baker dressed as Miss Trunchbull.
This was a tepid build coming into the match. However, AEW gave it the main event slot to close the show. Given that this episode had another unannounced extra long overrun, AEW ran a video package of big moments in St. Louis. Surely that was foreshadowing for fans to stick around to see another big moment on this night. That’s exactly what happened.
Baker created distractions to help Persephone gain control. Aminata turned the tide with her running kick, but the impact knocked Perse out of the ring away from a pin. Aminata followed for a brutal jumping stomp off the apron to Perse seated on a steel chair. That tide didn’t last long. Baker crept up with the title belt to blast Aminata.
Persephone taunted the crowd and landed a moonsault. Aminata snapped the crowd back in with a kick out. Loud support came from the crowd chanting Aminata’s name. The challenger escaped the champion’s crucifix lift to bop a headbutt. Aminata’s chance was there for a running kick clean on the money. 1, 2, 3, new champion.
That was a feel-good title change. I’m sad that Persephone’s run is over, because it didn’t feel like it reached her full potential. On a personal level, it is nice to see Aminata’s hard work pay off in success. I think that’s the reason the crowd was behind her more than the storyline. The story of her rise was mediocre. Perhaps it was the lack of passionate promos on screen during the course of this arc. As it stands, the moment still hit big with the fans. And it gives Dynamite zest for the unexpected to happen from time to time.
Catch up on the excellent play-by-play details from Claire Elizabeth. Let’s break the rest of the show.
Jay White & David Finlay defeated Jon Moxley & Daniel Garcia. The finish came down to interference from The Cut. In the calamity, Clark Connors speared Garcia, and White closed with the Blade Runner to win.
A melee erupted between The Cut and the Death Riders, and Moxley challenged thosee rapscallions to Anarchy in the Arena at Full Gear.
The Death Riders made this a fun match for the start of this feud. Moxley countered the Blade Runner into a Paradigm Shift to get bragging rights on Switchblade. The corner train is a cool spot when it turns into a marathon. The cheap finish is understandable as typical heel faction fodder. Commentary brought up an amusing thought about the surprise of Wheeler Yuta getting cheered for fighting The Cut. The question I have is what happened to Moxley. He initiated a suicide dive and hit his target, then he vanished off the screen leaving poor Danny Boy to get ransacked. Anarchy in the Arena feels right for the amount of people in this beef and how quickly it escalated.
This gang storyline continued later in the show.
Marina Shafir defeated Rachel Armstrong. Squash. Lots of judo tosses led to the Mother’s Milk submission. Shafir called out Mercedes Moné with brusque language. The CEO brought her big D energy to the ring. Mercedes slapped Marina to no effect. That was a funny exchange between opposite characters. Shafir was the badass. Mercedes thought she was too until being tested.
It’s up for debate if Mercedes had a hand in the ensuing brawl with The Cut attacking the Death Riders again. She disappeared quickly, so there is plausible deniability that she helped The Cut. The end result was White executing a Blade Runner to Claudio Castagnoli on the exposed concrete. Claudio was stretchered out.
Claudio was a beast again as one-man army, which is so much fun to watch. I sure hope Claudio is back to run wild for Anarchy in the Arena. The question arises if there is a reason for this madness. Will the Conglomeration help even the numbers?
Kyle Fletcher defeated Jack Perry. I have a big issue with AEW on this match. Apparently, there was a backstage brawl on TikTok to set this up. That’s fine in of itself. What’s not fine is showing no footage of it on Dynamite. That makes huge difference between adding heat to a matchup and it being a random contest. I was left in the random contest boat, so my enthusiasm in watching suffered. These are errors that AEW should not be making this far into their existence. I don’t want to hear time as an excuse. AEW is already jerking around each week with 20+ minute overruns.
The match itself was fine and dandy with athleticism and physicality. Perry scored near falls and even snagged the Snare Trap submission, but Fletcher rallied to finish him with a buckle brainbuster. Afterward, Fletcher was comically hoisted onto the shoulders of his burly brothers to challenge Will Ospreay for the world title at Full Gear. AEW made the PPV match official.
Using Perry as fodder for Fletcher to rise up the ranks works for me. Perry showed once again why I’m off the train of his storyline. He’s a punk that’s not worth the time of Samoa Joe. Perry showed no lessons learned in being a killer. For example, he postured for the crowd rather than going for the kill, and he paid the price. Perry also tried to go for the musclebuster as a shot at Joe, but Fletcher escaped. That’s another way to make Perry look foolish.
Texas Death? New Level weren’t down with Texas Death. They are in AEW to face the best, then fly home to their families. Kofi and Austin Creed don’t hate their trios opponents. They actually like Brodido and Hangman Page. Tension turned with King accusing them of plotting with Swerve Strickland about the missing Bandido. Hangman tried to get cooler heads to prevail. Swerve popped up on screen with a bloody Bandido and a threat to give him what he wants. He will not ask again.
I love how AEW is approaching this Texas Death stipulation. I also really hope that the trios rematch does not have the Texas Death stipulation. New Level pointed out all the logical reasons why they don’t want that match. Many of those same reasons have been mentioned by fans. I like how Hangman sells the mental toll of Texas Death. That’s an interesting avenue that doesn’t get explored often in professional wrestling. Swerve has turned into the ultimate villain again. Combine that with New Level as bright babyfaces, and Texas Death doesn’t fit. Unless the New Level turn heel.
Match 3 in Best of 5 Series: Motor City Machine Guns defeated FTR. The score was 1-1 heading into this contest. The wrestling was slick as expected. MCMG pulled out a Shatter Machine, but Dax Harwood kicked out. MCMG followed up for the Skull and Bones finisher. Cash Wheeler broke up the pin. On the finish, Wheeler executed a rolling German suplex on Alex Shelley. Harwood came over the top for a jackknife pin, but Shelley sat on top to trap Harwood for the three-count. The lead goes back to MCG at 2-1 in the series. Afterward, MCMG offered handshakes of respect. FTR reacted with sucker moves and attacked Shelley’s left knee.
The series is heating up. MCMG are being positioned as the better wrestlers. FTR cheated for their only win thus far, and they injured Shelley. My curiosity remains to see how this plays out.
Ilja Dragunov. Tommaso Ciampa ran his mouth with confidence about taking the AEW National Championship from Andrade. He will beat Matt Sydal on Collision to prove he is AEW’s greatest signing. Those words brought out Dragunov to challenge Ciampa to prove it.
Even though Ciampa versus Andrade was entertaining, I’m not so high on an immediate rematch. That’s why I like this twist injecting Dragunov into the mix. It was an unexpected surprise. The matchup feels fresh, and Dragunov looks interesting by answering the heel’s bravado.
TNT Championship: Darby Allin (c) defeated Josh Alexander to retain the title. Alexander executed a crazy spot for a jumping tombstone piledriver off the apron crashing onto chairs. It took a while to recuperate for the pin, and Allin kicked out.
RPG Vice ran down with intentions to interfere, but Steven Borden pulled a Sting to hide in the crowd wearing a clown mask. Borden decked Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta.
Alexander still had control for a grapevine ankle lock. Allin showed savvy to bridge over the top to trap Alexander in a pin.
That match was the Allin experience in a nutshell. Take a beating, take a huge spot, rally to win. I enjoy how Allin mixes up his methods of victory between an all-out blitz of Coffin Drops and technical strategy, such as that counter bridge.
Notes: Dean Malenko narrated the Blood & Guts hype video.
The Callis Family have one thing that Ospreay’s team does not. Say it Okada, “Family!” Love that smile.
Borden and Allin want blood and guts.
Stud of the Show: Claudio Castagnoli
For this clip alone.
Match of the Night: Queen Aminata vs. Persephone
The crowd reaction was great.
Grade: B
Sweet action inside the ring, chaotic action outside. This was a basic episode overall with a handful of well-done story bits.
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