AEW DYNAMITE HITS & MISSES (3/18): Kidd Cash chaos, Omega-Swerve EVP stipulation, Toni Storm backstage attack overacting, MJF’s post-Revolution promo, Davis & Speedball

HITS

The Dynamite Return Match of Will Ospreay

A high-quality opener between Will Ospreay and Blake Christian. I’m okay with the length of the match, in this case, because of the storyline of Ospreay being rusty upon his return. I’m glad Ospreay had said that he intends to modify his in-ring style, upon his return, to lessen the odds of future injury.

Hinting at a Jay White Return?

The Bang Bang Gang potentially being Ospreay’s backup is an interesting thought. I’m wondering if this is leading to the return of Jay White when Ospreay is finished with Mox?

Fans Understanding Pinnacle Chant Experience

The fans opposing the “We Want Tables!” chants with the “No We Don’t!” in response was refreshing. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard that before on a televised wrestling program.

Darby Allin Back on Title Pursuit?

Darby Allin throwing his name in the hat as yet another AEW World Heavyweight Champion challenger to MJF was a bit of a surprise to me tonight, but not an unwelcome one. Interesting to see where he slates in relation to Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland after Kenny’s challenge to Swerve earlier in the evening.

Jurassic Express Vignette

The Jurassic Express vignette was both fun and wholesome. A rare AEW segment focused entirely on getting across the personality of the characters in Jack Perry and Luchasaurus. The integration of the Young Bucks worked, as well.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

Swerve as a “True Heel”

Swerve is doing a great job of being a smarmy, unlikable heel after getting off to a rocky start his first week after the surprise turn on Kenny. He also isn’t being “cool.” He’s being intentionally slow and methodical. His cadence is now unappealing and that’s exactly what this heel Swerve needs. I have no concerns that Swerve will get cheered over Kenny at this point. He still needs to drop the “Whose House” catch-phrase though. Swerve-Kenny in two high-profile, main event matches at just about a month apart on Dynamites seems like proof that AEW is intentionally investing more in the TV product in 2026.

Mark Davis vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey

Mark Davis and “Speedball” Mike Bailey have been MVPs for AEW in 2026. What fantastic contrasting styles in their match tonight.

MJF Post-Revolution Backstage Promo

I hope that the “Wolf of Wrestling” sticks as the primary nickname for MJF as he introduced tonight. The Wolf of Wall Street, as a movie, completely epitomizes the MJF character. Overall, a passionate MJF promo backstage that was the perfect amount of wit and intensity. A great 2026 continues for MJF.

“Attack” on Toni Storm Backstage

Not only was the acting of Renee Paquette, Luther, and Mina Shirakawa horribly transparent and fake for the incredibly brief backstage segment, but it was also cut off out of nowhere. Perhaps, that was for the best. Also, why did Schiavone tip-off that Ronda Rousey was likely involved in the Toni Storm attack backstage during the Mina-Marina match?

Mina Shirakawa as an In-Match Babyface

I think that Mina did a good job of winning the fans (who were likely disappointed at the absence of Toni Storm) over in her match with Marina tonight. I noticed some strong “Let’s go Mina!” chants throughout. Mina’s head completely missed the table and hit the floor directly on the landing of the semi-suplex off the apron onto the table at ringside. It looked nasty.

Don Callis-Andrade Strife?

Could Don Callis getting his family in-bed with MJF be the catalyst for Andrade turning face at some point in the not-too-distant future? I think I would like this direction as it would add more layers to the family which we’ve been asking for quite some time.

AEW Men’s Tag Team Division Main Event

I love what AEW is currently doing with the main event of the men’s tag team division. That being said, I’d much prefer Adam Copeland & Christian Cage to face The Bucks in a no. contendership match for the AEW Tag Team Titles than have a Triple Threat match. I’m still not convinced that FTR vs. Copeland & Cage is set-in-stone for Dynasty.

Side Note: Christian is so good at walking the line of being a confident face but not to the point of so much arrogance that he gets booed. Quite the opposite. The fans actually love him for it.

MISSES

Clunkiness of Revolution Recap

I liked that they did the Revolution recap package to start the show, but the editing felt a bit clunky to me. I think that it should’ve been a bit more seamless for maximum effectiveness. Also, Excalibur went to Bryan Danielson during Ospreay’s entrance during the opening match and Danielson was completely unprepared to answer the question about Toni Storm’s “injury” at the hands of Marina Shafir at Revolution.

Inundated with Gabe Kidd Chaos

Gabe Kidd certainly has the ability to cut a believably crazed promo like he did backstage tonight. I wish they’d stick to that more than the car crashes and kidnappings. The match itself was fine but I could’ve done without the parking lot chaos.

Kenny Omega as an “EVP” Stipulation

Why are we still talking about Kenny as an EVP? Has any fan truly thought of him as one in years? I think that Swerve adding him taking Kenny’s EVP status as a stipulation means almost nothing to just about everyone. The Bucks always felt more like EVPs and even that meant very little.