SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
A big week for AEW begins in Ontario, California for Dynamite and ends in Australia for what looks to be a great card on Saturday night for Grand Slam. Could they start strong with some memorable moments? Here we go.
HITS
OMEGA AND SWERVE OPEN THE SHOW
Two weeks ago, Kenny Omega opened Dynamite to a loud response from the crowd and it got the show off to a great start. Last week, it started with a solid, but confusing trios match that included both babyfaces and heels on each team that wasn’t quite as engaging. I feel like they learned a lesson and went with Omega on this episode, which immediately had the fans into the show.
Swerve was solid, but Omega really stepped up. It looks like the weird, quirky lines are mostly gone from his promos since his return to the top of the singles division. He is easy to root for by playing into the fact this may be his last real run at the World Title. He also found time to put over Brody King as well, which can only help the big man moving forward regardless of what happens at Grand Slam.
The end of the segment was pretty intense and we did not have to wait to see them go at it. They had a good walk-and-brawl to set up a match that surprisingly is already booked for next week’s Dynamite. It was a great segment that set up a big match for TV next week.
KYLE FLETCHER-TOMASSO CIAMPA PUT ON A SHOW
Wow. This may be the match of the year so far (I know it’s only been 6 weeks). The two had instant chemistry and they had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. What a ride. The crazy bumps and near falls also had the fans going crazy. This weekend is Valentine’s Day and I’d like to buy this match flowers and candy.
At first, I was disappointed that Ciampa lost the title so quickly, but I felt this was a coming out party for him showing he can go toe-to-toe with one of the top guys in the company and if they follow up smartly, this loss will not hurt him long-term.
As for Fletcher, if he’s not going to be in the World Title scene, it’s important that he is still held in high stature and regaining this title and likely defeating Mark Briscoe on Saturday in a ladder match should cement him as a huge deal while they tell the World Title stories with MJF, Hangman, Omega, Swerve, etc.
THEKLA BEATS STATLANDER
The right move.
I’ve written about it for weeks and talked about it constantly on the All Elite Conversation Club podcast that this iteration of Kris Statlander as Women’s Champion was not working.
I felt that Thekla, while not a finished product, showed a lot in the previous match with Statlander. She was great in the ring and turned many in the crowd to cheer for her despite her role as the heel. This may be a transitional title run to get back to Toni Storm or go another direction, but I’m eager to see what Thekla can do as champ.
As for Statlander, I’m expecting the rhetoric to be that this title run was a failure and a big mistake. Well, it may have been, but I am not disappointed in AEW that they tried. I’m guessing Tony Khan saw something in Statlander and wanted to give her a shot to be the top woman in the company. He gave her big wins over Storm and Mercedes Mone, but the character was always the problem.
The character was all over the place for much of 2025 and didn’t connect. Statlander’s weakness on promos also didn’t help and they put her with fan favorites Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron to try and get that fan support. It did not work so they made a change. I’d much rather watch a company that gives wrestlers chances but is not afraid to pull the plug if it’s not working. What I did not want was for them to be stubborn and continue to go with this for month after month when it was clear they should move on. They did and I’m ready to see what’s next for both.
QUICK HITS
– The Death Riders match with the Callis Family was a fun brawl and enjoyable to watch. The Callis Family still loses a little bit too much for my taste and I continue to wonder what the plan is for Jon Moxley and the rest of his group as they really need to pick a lane at this point. History has proven they are not as effective as a “tweener” group.
– For the second week in a row we got a fantastic Will Ospreay video talking about his return. This makes me think he’s coming back sooner rather than later and I love what they are doing to get fans excited for him to return.
– It was nice having Bryan Danielson back on commentary this week. It shows just how much they need a former wrestler analyst to help tell these stories.
– Was that Private Party?! I have to admit I was happy to see Private Party return for the tag team match and pleasantly surprised that they weren’t put in the match just to take the fall. They looked good and while they are not an act that should be tag champs, they do put on great matches and I hope it won’t be another year before we see them again.
– I’m looking forward to another Young Bucks vs. FTR tag team title match. They never disappoint.
MISSES
PICK A LANE, MOX
I mentioned it a bit above, but after the tag match where Daniel Garcia lost… again… and Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir came out to cut Mina Shirakawa’s hair, Moxley is sitting at the commentary table approving of these extreme heel tactics. He has spent the last couple of months transitioning to be a babyface (where he belongs) and this back-and-forth persona just does not work for me. Let’s get on with the breakup of the Death Riders and allow Pac to take over and run the group. Fans want to cheer for Moxley so let them.
Don’t forget to check out the weekly free podcast I’m part of, “The All Elite Conversation Club” that drops on Fridays the PWTorch Dailycast lineup. Joel Dehnel and I have a great time breaking down all things AEW. Search “pwtorch” on your podcast app to subscribe. Send questions and comments to allelitecc@gmail.com.
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