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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
AUGUST 20, 2025
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND AT OVO HYDRO ARENA
AIRED ON TBS & MAX
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
Ring Announcer: Arkadi Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 7,649 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 8,002. The arena has a capacity of 14,500 spectators when configured for concerts.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Chris Lansdell to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They cut right to the arena in Glasgow and a close-up of fans applauding in the first few rows as Excalibur introduced the show.
-Bryan Danielson made his entrance. He pumped his arms in the air as fans chanted “Yes!” Tony Schiavone said he considers Danielson the greatest pro wrestler of all time. They cut outside the arena to “Hangman” Adam Page pulling his rolling baggage into the arena from public transit outside the venue.
Will Ospreay then made his full ring entrance. Danielson made his way to the announce desk for guest commentary. Ospreay listened to cheering fans. Ospreay said it’s been one of the worst months of his life, but he can depend on the fans. (The acoustics of his talking were pretty rough here, like someone holding up a mic in the crowd to pick up the speakers in the arena rather than the mic he was holding actually working.) He interacted with the crowd and they returned with some chants and singing. He said he grew up in front of them. “You’re not just people, you’re my people,” he said.
He said he got the worst news after the attack by the Death Riders that will change his life forever. He said he used to feel invincible. He said he’d bounce back like he was made of rubber. He said Taka Michinoku once said he was an alien. He said he felt human for the first time in his life. He said he has realized he’s going to be walking down the road other wrestlers have “and they haven’t come back the same.” He hung his head solemnly.
He said the truth is, last week he didn’t get cleared for Forbidden Door. He said they told him he can’t wrestle in his hometown, 30 minutes from his home. He said he was going to take it into his own hands by having an unsanctioned match instead. He said whatever happens isn’t AEW’s fault. He said he knows the fans don’t want him to die. “I am aware of the risks,” he said. He said he is comfortable taking those risks “because this place means so much to me.” He said he is there to prove a point that this generation is going to look after the letters A-E-W. He said if there’s a small chance he can’t continue to be Will Ospreay after Sunday, he’ll leave everything in the ring on Sunday.
He said the main reason he’s doing this is he wants revenge. He said he and his partners “will tear the Death Riders apart.” He said this is for him. “Before they take a scalpel to me, I’m taking a pound of flesh from Jon Moxley.”
Moxley’s music played and he made his way into the arena and to the ring. Mox walked up to Ospreay’s face. Claudio Castagnoli, Marina Sharif, and Wheeler Yuta surrounded the ring. Ospreay asked why he needed them if he’s the “ace of AEW.” He said on Sunday, he’s coming for him. He said if you want to get rid of him, “do it yourself.” Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey ran to the ring and went after Claudio and Yuta. Hiroshi Tanahashi’s music then played and he made his way to the ring.
(1) HIROSHI TANAHASHI & JET SPEED (“Speedball” Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight) vs. THE DEATH RIDERS (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta w/Marina Shafir)
Danielson said he’s not sure if Tanahashi has ever been part of a cage match the nature of what’s happening on Sunday. The bell rang 14 minutes into the hour. Danielson said Speedball’s kicks are much more impressive than his. At 3:00, Shafir yanked Knight off the ring apron by his boot and kicked him. The ref booted her from ringside. She threw a fit, of course. Claudio gave Speedball a Giant Swing. Knight leapfrogged Speedball and dropkicked Mox. Then at ringside, Ospreay came out and carried Shafir to the back when she hadn’t left the stage yet. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Claudio was in control of Knight after the break. Knight showed life with a dropkick. He then leapfrogged Moxley and tried to crawl to tag in Tanahashi. He leaped and made the tag. Yuta also tagged in, and of course Tanahashi got the better of him to the delight of the fans. He landed a top rope flip senton for a two count. Speedball springboard moonsaulted onto Moxley at ringside. Knight then landed a springboard flying clothesline on Claudio back in the ring. Tanahashi landed a Sling Blade on Yuta next. A six-way brawl broke out with the faces delivering simultaneous swinging neckbreakers.
As Tanahashi set up a top rope move on Yuta, Knight and Speedball leaped off the top rope onto Claudio and Mox on the floor. Gabe Kidd and the Bullet Club War Dogs came to ringside. Excalibur talked about their issues with Tanahashi in New Japan. He said they were called in by Moxley. Ospreay appeared on the stage with someone in a bodybag. Schiavone suggested it was Shafir. Tanahashi landed a top rope splash on Yuta for the win.
WINNERS: Jet Speed & Tanahashi in 12:00.
-Afterward, the Death Riders and War Dogs charged into the ring and attacked the babyfaces seven-on-three. Ospreay taunted Mox, Claudio, and Kidd to walk up the ramp to “save Shafir.” The Young Bucks then superkicked Ospreay. Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly ran out and brawled to the back with the Bucks. The Death Riders lifted the body bag and Darby came out of it. “It was Darby Allin the whole time!” exclaimed Schaivone. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata came out to help even the sides. They brawled at ringside and into the crowd. The brawl went on long enough for Darby to make his way up into the crowd and then leap off the ledge onto the crowd of wrestlers below with a Coffin Drop. Ospreay helped him stand afterward. Danielson said he is terrified about what is going to happen on Sunday. Excalibur said it’s an unsanctioned lights out match and they can get wild.
(Keller’s Analysis: All in all, an effective way to give a taste of the Lights Out match on Sunday. Tanahashi looks like he’s on his last legs.)
-A video package aired on the “Hangman” Page-MJF segment last week in the ring and also the attack in the parking garage at the end of the show. [c]
-Schiavone stood mid-ring and introduced Adam Copeland, who made his ring entrance. Schiavone then introduced Christian Cage. He came out to what the announcers characterized as a mixed reaction. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” when they stood next to each other. Christian took the mic and told the fans to “sit down and shut your mouths while I conduct…” Copeland yanked the mic out of his hand and said, “Come on, you’re still going to be that guy? These people love us.” Hes said they are inarguably one of the greatest tag teams of all time. He said it’s also true that Christian is an asshole. Copeland said sometimes you need an asshole, “and it just so happens that he’s my asshole.”
Schiavone said at All In, Copeland told him to “go find yourself.” He asked if he has. Christian said he did look deep inside himself and he found that “I don’t need to change a thing; I am perfect just the way I am.” He said for people who are wondering if he and Adam are on the same page, they’re not. He said there’s a lot of scar tissue there. He said they’re not on the same page, but he would concede they are writing in the same book. He said some people were hoping this would be a happy, bubbly reunion of one of if not the greatest tag team of all time. He said this isn’t a happy reunion, but a reunion out of necessity.
He said Copeland has agreed to help him with his Kip Sabin and Nick Wayne problem while he’ll help Copeland with his FTR problem. He said beyond that, he can’t commit to anything. He said he’d shake his hand and look him in the eyes and tell him this version of himself that found three years ago will be the best tag team partner he’s ever had. Christian extended his hand. Copeland looked out to the crowd, then shook Christian’s hand.
Sabian walked out with Mother Wayne. He said Christian is now pandering like the people he despises. Mother Wayne asked who the fans are to boo them. She said she’s not just any mother, but she’s the mother of “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne. Nick interrupted on the big screen, with crutches visible. He said they claim to be legends, but they’re actually just holding onto their careers by threads. He said he’d get to that another time, but he wanted to address last Wednesday.
He said when Christian swung that “spike thing” at him, he attempted to take his life. He said he didn’t get his life, but he did break his foot. “You took Forbidden Door away from me for weeks,” he said. He said if he was healthy, he would have turned a very special reunion into a very quick farewell tour. He said it’s a blessing in disguise that he won’t be there on Sunday, “or is it?” He told Christian that he is always one step ahead. He laughed and then the feed cut.
A video then played and Luchasaurus was shown being brought back to life from a gurney. He then walked past Kip and Mother Wayne toward the ring. They followed behind. Christian fended off Sabian on the ring apron. Luchasaurus chokeslammed Copeland. Christian turned to Luchasaurus. Fans chanted “Luchasaurus!” (Geesh, people. He’s the heel here.) He then chokeslammed Christian and stood over their fallen bodies.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment until the very end when fans totally revealed they weren’t buying into the story and were just popping for the “moment” of a return of a star they have a fondness for. They are handling the Christian-Copeland reunion well in that they’re not having Christian suddenly convert to something very different from who he has been the last few years.)
-Mark Briscoe was backstage looking for MJF and he promised to kill him. (Yikes). [c]
-As Ricochet was cutting a promo backstage with the Gates of Agony, MJF walked in and suggested they work together against Mark Briscoe. “What do you say?” he said. “Wanna be my friend?” He extended his hand. Ricochet said he usually likes to see MJF frantically desperately running around, but Briscoe irks him. They shook hands.
(2) FTR (Dax & Cash w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. BRODIDO (Brody King & Bandido)
Schiavone said Brodido are 2-1. Danielson said he’s so impressed with them even though they’ve only teamed together for three months. Danielson said FTR are “probably the greatest tag team of my generation.” The bell rang 55 minutes into the hour.
[HOUR TWO]
At 5:00, Hurt Syndicate showed up on the big screen watching the match. When FTR bailed out and regrouped, Dax tossed a chair into the ring. The ref caught it and slid it out of the ring. Dax threw another chair and the ref caught it and slid it out of the ring. Brody took control against Cash. Cash tagged in Dax. Brody dropped Bandido onto Dax leading to a two count. Danielson said their teamwork is incredible after just three months.
Cash interfered and threw Brody through the ropes where Stokely hit him with his sling. Excalibur said the sling was loaded. Fans chanted, “F— you, Stokely!” Dax then grabbed the house mic and insisted fans respect Stokely. They showed Brody bleeding from his forehead at ringside as they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Brody was bleeding all over the canvas after the break. He tagged Bandido in. Bandido backdropped Cash over the top rope onto Dax at ringside. When he dove at them, they caught him and rammed him into the ring apron. They showed a steel pipe at ringside that Schiavone said was loaded in Stokely’s sling earlier that changed the course of the match. A ref checked on Brody’s blood-covered face. FTR continued their attack on Bandido. They cut to another double-box break at 17:00. [c/db]
Bandido hot-tagged in Brody. Excalibur said with the loss of blood, he needs to seize this moment and try to end the match quickly. Cash broke up a cover after a sitout powerbomb on Dax. Brody and Bandido took control at ringside, then threw Dax into the ring. Stokely grabbed Bandido’s leg as he began to climb to the top rope. Bandido yanked his mask back from Stokely and put it on and then celebrated. Excalibur and Danielson said he might have wasted valuable time. He continued to play to the crowd and then successfully landed a splash on Dax. Dax kicked out. Meanwhile, Cash shoved Brody into the ringpost and then DDT’d him. Dax took over against Bandido in the ring. Bandido countered a top rope move as Brody intervened to stop Cash from getting involved.
Dax knocked Brody off balance on the top rope and then delivered a back suplex. Cash then leaped off the top rope with a splash for a believable near fall. (Brody obviously shifted himself into position for the splash.) Arkady Aura announced five minutes remained. FTR hit Shatter Machine on Brody, but Bandido tagged Brody’s shoulders seconds earlier. Bandido then gave Cash a victory roll for a near fall. Dax leaped off the top rope with a Doomsday style move for a near fall. Danielson said that Bandido is his wrestler of the year pick with 2025 he’s had. Brody broke up a Shatter Machine attempt on Bandido.
FTR gave Brody a leaping spike piledriver on the ring apron. Bandido leaped off the top rope and flipped at Cash and Dax. Back in the ring, he went for a top rope moonsault, but Dax moved. Bandido countered a Shatter Machine with a DDT. He then superkicked Dax. Cash saved Dax from Bandido’s finisher. Bandido went for his “21 Plex” again on Cash, but Dax blocked it. FTR gave Bandido their Shatter Machine. Brody broke it up. Aura said there was one minute left. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!”
FTR leaned a table against the barricade at ringside. Brody went after Dax and Cash at ringside as Bandido recovered in the ring. Brody leaped at Dax, but Dax moved. Cash went for a dive through the ropes, but Bandido moved and Cash crashed through the table. The bell rang.
WINNER: 30 minute draw so both teams advance to face Hurt Syndicate.
-Bandido gave Dax his 21 Plex finisher. He went for a pin. The ref explained the match was over. She announced that Tony Khan had just made it official that both teams will face Hurt Syndicate at Forbidden Door.
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m typically anti three-way matches in most situations and they’re so overdone as a concept. That said, with Hurt Syndicate being kinda undefined, and Brodido having momentum, this all in all feels like a situation where it’s merited. Oh yeah, that was one hell of a match!)
-A video package aired on the Kazuchika Okada vs. Swerve Strickland match with soundbites by Don Callis and Swerve. [c]
-“Hangman” Adam Page made his ring entrance to cheers. He entered the ring and said last week he was jumped from behind by MJF in the parking lot. He said MJF can’t look head-on at his problems, so it’s a waste of time to call him to the ring. He said he’s an insecure and gutless coward. He said at Forbidden Door, he will shove his size 12 ostrich leathers straight up his checkered ass. MJF’s theme played. Schiavone stood and said MJF says he wants to speak to him, but if he leaves the ring before he finishes what he’s saying, “something very bad is going to happen.”
MJF showed up on the screen. He asked Hangman if he remembers that he told him he is most vulnerable when he’s angry. The camera panned back and showed Ricochet and GOA standing behind Briscoe who was tied up to a chair and gagged. MJF said he has to say yes to his three requests or else something really bad will happen. He poured gasoline over Briscoe. MJF said Briscoe could end up Kentucky Fried. MJF said the title can change hands by DQ or via countout. He said also, he doesn’t have to use his contract to get a title shot at Forbidden Door. MJF said he was going to ask for a lighter and see if the fans like him setting things on fire as much as his hero Hangman does. Hangman yelled at him to put it down. “Fine! Fine!” You got it. Fine!” Hangman said. The crowd was silent. MJF congratulated Hangman for still being a hero.
Hangman ran backstage with a chair in hand as they cut to a break.
(Keller’s Analysis: I don’t even know what to say. It’s just so stupid and hack. Obviously, Tony Khan should fire MJF storyline-wise for threatening to set someone on fire, and nothing Hangman – who has all the cards – agreed to should stand.) [c]
-Hangman found Ricochet backstage and bashed him with a chair. He yelled for him to tell him where MJF was. Security intervened. Hangman the punched one security guy and left. GOA showed up.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. Excalibur asked Danielson what kind of head space Hangman would be in. Danielson said what MJF did was despicable and it shows him he doesn’t have the confidence he’ll win on Sunday. He said Hangman is most dangerous when he’s angry.
(Keller’s Analysis: That reaction by the announcers is illustrative of why angles like threatening to set someone on fire shouldn’t be part of pro wrestling narratives. Their reaction was so not at the level of what the situation called for. I mean, he threatened to set someone on fire on live TV. They treat it like he threatened to cut his hair or steal his bracelet or said something really mean about his mom. What are they supposed to say, though? The proper thing is to point out MJF should be fired and perhaps arrested. Anything short of that makes them look like they didn’t appreciate what “almost happened.” But they can’t say the obvious, so the whole thing just fizzles out without any impact because it has to be underplayed to the detriment of the entire structure of AEW’s universe. Is Tony Khan every going to be able to punish a wrestler with fines or suspensions for anything in the future and not have it seem ridiculous that he didn’t do anything to MJF for that? It’s so hack. Even if it worked somehow at giving MJF heat, it’d still be stupid, but it’s so ridiculously disqualifying over-the-top that it’s doesn’t land at all in the emotional realm of where fans are when they watch pro wrestling, so there’s nothing redeeming about it. Again, just hack.)
(3) MERCEDES MONE & ATHENA vs. “TIMELESS” TONI STORM & ALEX WINDSOR
The bell rang 49 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 5:00. [c/db]
Mercedes landed a lung blower on Storm and set up a submission. Winsdor intervened.
[OVERRUN]
Windsor eventually took over and applied a sharpshooter on Mercedes. She tapped, but the ref told Windsor she wasn’t legal. Athena then surprised Windsor with an O-Face and scored a three count.
WINNERS: Athena & Mercedes in 16:00.
-Storm was being tended to at ringside as the announcers hyped the line-up for Forbidden Door and Collision (which includes The Young Bucks vs. O’Reilly & Strong now, also).
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Chris Lansdell to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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