AEW TOP MATCHES AND PROMO OF THE WEEK: Darby vs. Andrade tops the list from Dynasty PPV

What’s the point of putting yourself through a qualifying match to get one of the first two spots in the Casino Gauntlet match for the vacant TNT Title if you are just going to use your advantage to slap your opponent in the chest for 5 minutes and not try to pin them once? Make it make sense to me. I thought the Dynasty PPV this weekend was a very solid PPV, and I saw someone compare this show to the “Middle of a good book” and I thought that was a very appropriate way to put it. We are in the middle of a good book right now and the final chapter for this book will be ALL IN in London .

As much as I loved this Dynasty PPV though, I could not stand the logic in the Casino Gauntlet match, and I think this match needs to be retired for a bit. The first two entrants were Tommaso Ciampa and RUSH, and I thought it was maybe the dumbest opening to a gauntlet match I’ve ever seen. The Tommaso Ciampa character is supposed to be obsessed with getting his TNT Title back, but he wastes his advantage in the match to get in a slap fest with RUSH? I thought it made the Ciampa character look like an idiot, and that character should never look like an idiot. It just took me out of the match totally, and then the rest of the match just annoyed me once other guys weren’t trying to pin anyone as well. I’m happy Kevin Knight won, and I’m excited to see his journey continue, but man that opening really pissed me off. Alright, let’s get to the positives of this show now because that’s what this article is all about.

Darby Allin vs. Andrade El Idolo – Dynasty PPV 4/12/26

This was my favorite match on the show and one of my all-time favorite Darby Allin matches. I also thought this was Andrade making a statement that he can be a top guy, and that he can be a main event talent for AEW. I just loved everything about this match, and I was so happy we just got a straight up wrestling match from Darby because he really shines in these one on one matches that don’t involve coffins, barbed wire, glass, blood etc.

I thought Darby was just out of his mind in this match with the number of dives he did to the outside on Andrade. When Andrade was doing his pose on the ropes, and Darby just ran through him like a human dart was just the best and when Andrade was doing his selfie gimmick and Darby did a coffin drop to him on the outside, I was laughing so hard on my couch (in a good way) because it was like Darby just fell out of the sky.

The welt Darby had on his side after he fell on the stairs when they took the match into the crowd looked gnarly and I loved how Andrade took advantage of it by working that side of Darby’s body.

The moment when Andrade had Darby up on the top rope and I think was trying to do like an Avalanche Back Body Drop on Darby, but Darby reversed it on the fall and turned it into a Cross Face on Andrade when they both hit the mat was just phenomenal. I have never seen that before.

Andrade had one of the biggest pops of the night simply by taking his pants off which I thought was great, and the spinning back elbow he hits on his opponents’ absolute smokes these guys and looks absolutely devastating.

It’s so good that I think Jericho should retire the Judas Effect for the time being because it’s going to look like junior varsity compared to Andrade’s. Overall, it was just a great match and now Darby gets MJF Wednesday night for the AEW World Title.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Thekla (c) vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s World Championship – Revolution PPV 4/12/26

So, I would say this match and the Moxley vs. Ospreay match were both my second favorite matches on the show, but I really wanted to give the women some love here because I though they both brought it in this match and I don’t think the crowd gave this match the love it deserved.

AEW should be very happy with the rise of Thekla over the last few months, especially with the loss of Toni Storm because AEW would really be in rough shape if Thekla wasn’t around right now.

I thought she looked great in this match and as soon as her entrance music hits and she walks out, I just think to myself “Yup, that’s a star”. I also thought this was Jamie Hayter’s best match since she came back, but I really wish she would lose this whole Austin Powers aesthetic with her ring gear and entrance video packages.

Now that she is in Brawling Birds with Alex Windsor, I wish she would drop that look and go more with what Windsor is wearing with the Union Jack aesthetic for her ring gear. Lean into the British punk look rather than the Austin Powers look.

I loved the quick start of the match when both women just went right at each other and not wasting any time. I also really loved the visual of Thekla kicking Hayter down the entrance ramp, and then really enjoying watching Hayter roll down the ramp as she walked behind her with her arms out enjoying her work.

Thekla to me has the best dive off the top rope to the outside in AEW. Her crossbody dive looks like she is flying the way she bends her body back in midair. Thekla also had a great Liger Bomb in this match to Hayter, and I loved the spot where Thekla did her spider pose and Hayter reversed it into a Tombstone.

I like that Thekla cheated to win because I’m hoping they continue this rivalry a little bit more. I hope this isn’t a quick one off between these two. I think they have solid chemistry together and would really like to see more between them. I like the Brawling Birds as a tag team, but I also think both Windsor and Hayter work well as singles too so I like that they are also having singles rivalries while they are also a tag team.

I’ve said before that I think Alex Windsor has potential to be a main eventer in this women’s division, so I’m happy to see her getting some shine as well in this Ospreay/Death Riders feud.

Promo Highlight of the Week

Kenny Omega – Dynamite 4/8/26

When Kenny came out in a suit I knew we were going to get a great promo, and I’m sorry but if Kenny Omega puts together a solid, coherent, locked in promo I’m going to highlight it. I thought Omega did an incredible job here and I love how he broke down the MJF character and how he was done falling for his antics.

I also liked it when he talked about how he was getting tired of people talking about his injuries, because if I’m honest I’m getting a little tired of constantly hearing about his injuries as well. I don’t want to constantly have to think of Kenny as broken down or on his last legs. I think the constant talk about his injuries hurts the character and the aura of Kenny Omega.

This tied in well with Kenny baiting MJF into a handshake at the end of the promo, knowing MJF wouldn’t be able to help himself and go for the cheap shot. When he pulled MJF’s Dynamite Diamond Ring off his finger I was yelling “Don’t give it back” and as soon as he threw it on MJF’s lifeless body you knew that it was a mistake he was going to pay for at the PPV.

Thoughts and Observations

– I was entertained by Chris Jericho’s promo on Dynamite with Ricochet and I also thought the match they had on Dynasty was solid. Jericho is up to something though and I think some sort of reveal of something is coming.

– I know Kazuchika Okada isn’t putting on 5-star classics in the ring and that is annoying people, but the guy is having fun and the match with the Young Bucks on Dynasty was proof of that point. Okada putting the Bucks gear on was so funny.

– I know it wouldn’t have made any sense for the match or for the story, but man when Will Ospreay hit Jox Moxley with the Hidden Blade to start the match I yelled on my couch “OMG pin him this would be incredible.” Once he hit him with the second Hidden Blade and didn’t pin him, I knew he wasn’t going to win and the story they were going to tell.

– I thought Christian talking about “Banging” FTR’s mothers was lame and reminded me of the old WWE humor that was lame. I don’t need it.

– The Gabe Kidd injury could be a blessing in disguise for him. I think his character has suffered an enormous amount of damage from the amount of losses he’s piled up and they are making the same mistake with him they made with Jay White. Jay White was paired with the Bang Bang Gang and all they did was lose and it really hurt the Jay White character. I really hope they don’t do this again with Gabe Kidd and his pairing with The Dogs.