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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
MAY 20, 2026
PORTLAND, MAINE AT CROSS INSURANCE ARENA
AIRED ON TBS & HBO MAX
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier that 2,877 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 3,159. The arena has a capacity of 9,500 spectators when configured for concerts. The last wrestling show at this arena was WWE for a house show on Dec. 3, 2023 which drew 3,648.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Jerud Buhgiar to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show. PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair will join as an on-site correspondent also.
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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Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
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[HOUR ONE]
-Excalibur introduced the show as the camera went to a wide shot of the crowd in the arena. He previewed the matches on the two hour Dynamite and one hour Collision.
-They went to a clip from earlier in the day of The Young Bucks and Chris Jericho. They talked about working together in Stadium Stampede on Sunday. Matt Jackson said Jericho was with them at the launch of AEW and he considers him “another one of the founding fathers.” Nick Jackson said the Inner Circle made their lives living hell early on. Nick reminded Matt that Jericho beat up their dad. Jericho apologized, but under his breath said, “Totally deserved it.” Jericho said they are teaming together for the first time ever. He again asked them to forgive him. Nick said it was water under the bridge. They bickered over what their team name should be. Jericho suggested either Y2Jacksons or The Bucks of Jericho. They all agreed and repeated: “Two names, one team.”
(1) THE YOUNG BUCKS & CHRIS JERICHO vs. MARK DAVIS & ANDRADE (w/Don Callis) & RICOCHET
The Bucks and Jericho came out first to the Bucks’ music and then Jericho’s “Judas.” Callis came out with Davis first. Andrade then joined them. The bell rang 8 minutes into the hour. Jericho leaped off the top rope onto the heel trio as the Bucks held them in place. They then struck a pose together in the ring. They cut to a double-box break at 5:00. [c/db]
When Jericho hit a huracanrana off the top rope after each of the Bucks did it, Callis said, “You gotta give it to Jericho. Still got it, never lost it. Scumbag, hate him, but great wrestler.” When Ricochet springboarded toward the Bucks, the Bucks superkicked him out of mid-air.
They fought to ringside. Jericho back-suplexed Ricochet off the barricade through the time keeper’s table. In the ring, Andrade and Davis worked over Matt. Andrade accidentally back-elbowed Ricochet. As Andrade fretted over his miscue, the Bucks landed stereo superkicks and a BTE Trigger for a near fall. Schiavone said he didn’t think Ricochet and Jericho would return to the ring. Clark Connors and David Finlay ran out. Connors hit Matt with a shillelagh and then draped Andrade on him for a three count.
WINNERS: Davis & Ricochet & Andrade in 14:00.
-After the match, Jack Perry walked out with a big bag of onions and bashed Toa Liona with them. Davis jabbed Perry with a chair. Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley, and MVP ran out next. Everyone brawled for a while in a preview of Stadium Stampede, including a Lashley spear to end things. Excalibur was stressing it was “the biggest Stadium Stampede ever.”
-A video package aired building Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada. [c]
-Renee Paquette interviewed Darby Allin backstage. She said if he survives his match against “Speedball” Mike Bailey tonight, he’ll face MJF on Sunday. She asked why he’s taken on such a schedule. He said he feels the pain and isn’t numb to it. He said it is everything he thought it would be. He said being World Champion is the greatest feeling in the world. He said MJF is the most vein man in the world. He said every red carpet he walks and every interview he does, after he shaves his head, it’ll eat him alive. He then addressed Speedball. He said he’ll do anything it takes to hold onto the belt and he said Speedball should do the same.
-A video package aired on the Darby-MJF rivalry.
(2) TOMASSO CIAMPA vs. MARK BRISCOE – Anything Goes
The bell rang 34 minutes into the hour. They used apparatus against each other including a kendo stick, a trash can, a cane, a chain, a cookie sheet, and a pipe. Ciampa yanked Briscoe off the top rope with a chain around his neck and crashed him through a table at ringside. Ciampa held up a cheese grater. He scraped it against Briscoe’s forehead and Briscoe was bleeding from the forehead. Then they cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
Briscoe sprayed a fire extinguisher in the face of Ciampa. Then Briscoe took Ciampa to the floor with a cookie sheet shot. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Briscoe set up a table. Then he stapled barbed wire to it. Ciampa commandeered the staple gun and used it to stick paper to Briscoe’s forehead. He put three staples into Briscoe’s head and the paper. “Holy hell,” said Schiavone. Ciampa then put a kneepad on with tacks all over them. Briscoe used a drop toe hold to send a charging Ciampa past him into the corner. He then jabbed him with a screwdriver.
Briscoe put chairs back to back and then flung Ciampa back first off the top rope onto them. He followed with a leaping Jay Driller off the ring apron through a table at ringside. Back in the ring, he landed a top rope elbow drop for the win.
WINNER: Briscoe in 15:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I hope Darby wasn’t watching that because I don’t want him to try to top it in terms of violence, especially the bump Ciampa took off the top rope back-first onto the chairs.) [c]
-Schiavone stood mid-ring and talked about the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament. Prince Nana cut him off and told him he looks like a substitute teacher in there. He shooed him away. “Thank you, old man,” he said. He introduced Swerve and said he’ll prove a point this Sunday at Double or Nothing. He said he’s the most dangerous man in AEW. Swerve made his entrance.
Bandido jumped Swerve in the entrance area. Bandido landed a running flip dive from the ring over the top rope onto Swerve at ringside. Prince Nana distracting Bandido by wielding a chair led to Swerve taking over. Swerve threw a chair at Bandido, but Bandido blocked it and then threatened Swerve with it, so Swerve left with Nana.
-They showed the women’s bracket of the Owen Tournament.
-A promo aired with Willow Nightingale who talked about her great moments in AEW so far. She said she told herself she’d fight against any challenger who stepped up or else she didn’t deserve to be TBS Champion. She said in her last match with Red Velvet, she injured her right shoulder. She said she so badly wants to wrestle at Double or Nothing at home in New York in front of her family against Alex Windsor and then go on to become World Champ. She said unfortunately, though, she has to withdraw from the Owen Hart Cup and relinquish the TBS Title. She said it’s been an honor to hold it and have ten successful title defenses. She said she was overjoyed to be the Face of TBS. She stood and said she will be back, but she doesn’t know when. She said when she returns, she’s coming right back to the top. “So everyone, thank you,” she said with a tinge of emotion.
-The updated tournament bracket showed that Windsor’s opponent was newly listed as simply “Wildcard.”
[HOUR TWO]
(3) JON MOXLEY vs. KYLE O’REILLY – AEW Continental Title Eliminator match
As Mox made his entrance through the crowd, Renee talked about this being Briscoe’s first singles match in around six months since suffering a neck injury. She noted that O’Reilly has tapped out Mox twice before. She said Mox told her, “I am a better man today than I was yesterday.” The bell rang 4 minutes into the hour. Taz said he liked that no one is allowed around ringside during Continental Title matches. They did mat work with holds for several minutes. O’Reilly sold injured ribs and couldn’t even hit the ropes. They cut to a double-box break at 7:00. [c/db]
After the break, O’Reilly took over and landed a running boot to send Mox to the floor. They battled at ringside and took each other down with simultaneous clotheslines at 13:00. Mox bit O’Reilly’s face and ear and then superplexed him. They announced 15 minutes had gone by and 5 minutes remained. O’Reilly applied an ankelock, but Mox slipped free and applied a bulldog choke. O’Reilly went after Mox’s arm and then dropkicked him into a chair at ringside.
Back in the ring, Mox caught O’Reilly with a cutter. O’Reilly came back with a fisherman’s suplex and then a PK. Both were down and slow to get up. O’Reilly applied an anklelock mid-ring with the clock running out. Mox teased tapping. He held on until the bell rang.
WINNER: 20 minute draw.
-The ring announcer noted that O’Reilly has earned a title shot as a result of lasting 20 minutes. He said he wanted his title rematch without a time limit.
-Renee interviewed Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida backstage. Renee asked Statlander how she felt about Willow’s announcement. Shida interrupted and seemed insincerely sad. Stat said she is cleared for Double or Nothing, though. [c]
(4) ATHENA & THEKLA & JULIA HART & SKYE BLUE vs. THUNDER ROSA & MINA SHIRAKAWA & ALEX WINDSOR & JAMIE HAYTER
Excalibur mentioned the Brawl at the Ballpark house show after a Minnesota Twins game on July 10 in Minneapolis, Minn. at Target Field. The bell rang 34 minutes into the hour. They cut to an early double-box break. [c/db]
When Athena dove through the ropes, Shirakawa blocked her and then landed a DDT at ringside. The Brawling Birds took out Sky Blue at ringside. Thekla distracted the ref as Julia Hart blew mist in the eyes of Thunder Rosa, then Thekla scored a three count on her.
WINNERS: Thekla & Athena & Blue & Hart in 10:00.
-Kevin Night and Speedball talked backstage. Knight wished him luck in his match against Darby. Speedball said if he wins the title, don’t forget about him because he’d love a title shot. [c]
-Backstage, the Death Riders were all doing push-ups in a circle. Renee asked Mox how it’ll be different against O’Reilly with a no time limit match. Mox stood and said it’s driving him crazy that he can’t find a way to beat him. Mox asked what the odds are O’Reilly can beat him a third time, though. Mox said he thinks “the house finally wins” and “game seven is all that matters” and that’s Sunday at Double or Nothing.
(Keller’s Analysis: They did a nice job getting the most you could out of Mox vs. O’Reilly.)
(5) DARBY ALLIN (w/Kevin Knight) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY – AEW World Title match
After ring entrances and ring introductions, fans chanted “Darby!” MJF’s music played and he walked to ringside and put a headset on. Speedball went on the attack at the bell 54 minutes into the hour. MJF said he’s excited to watch Darby lose “and not get to wrestle me at the pay-per-view.” Darby landed a Scorpion Death Drop on the barricade at 2:00. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
[OVERRUN / HOUR THREE]
They were fighting at ringside. When Excalibur said MJF was the most insecure man in pro wrestling, MJF fired back, “Says the man who wears a mask.” Darby leaped onto Speedball. Schiavone said Darby throws himself around recklessly. MJF said that unlike Darby he is never reckless. Back in the ring, Darby landed a Coffin Drop. MJF stood at ringside.
Speedball caught Darby with a spin hook kick mid-ring to take Darby down. MJF said he doesn’t want to look like “a disgusting bald geek” and he had nothing to worry about given the momentum Speedball had. He told Taz he looked great, but everyone else looked disgusting bald. MJF called Darby a “reckless, stupid, stuntman, idiot.” Darby put Speedball in a Scorpion Death lock. Knight cheered on Speedball. Darby came back with a Coffin Drop and then a Scorpion Death Lock. Speedball tapped.
WINNER: Darby in 11:00 to retain the AEW World Title.
-MJF walked away and sparred with fans at ringside. Knight told Speedball afterward to keep his head up. He said he just gave Darby the biggest fight of his life (uh, no). He said he didn’t win, but he’s proud of him. He then told Darby he has more heart than anyone. He said it’s up to Darby now to humble MJF’s “arrogant ass.” He said he knows he can beat MJF. He said after he does and after he shaved him bald, he’ll send his ass “back to Turkey.” He said they will be waiting for him. He told Darby not to let The Jet down or the people down.
After they left, MJF jumped Darby and then gloated a bit. He then pulled out clippers from under the ring and brought them into the ring. He tried to use them against Darby, but Darby blocked it and wrested the clippers from him. MJF blocked him and then fled.
NOTE: Joshua White now picks up the coverage in a separate Collision report here at PWTorch.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Jerud Buhgiar to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show. PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair will join as an on-site correspondent also.
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.
VIP VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
https://streamyard.com/6ypnxsihz3
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER AEW DYNAMITE TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
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