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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
APRIL 8, 2026
EDMONTON, ALBERTA AT ROGERS PLACE
AIRED ON TBS & HBO MAX
REPORT BY CHRISTOPHER ADAMS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
[HOUR ONE]
-As Excalibur was introducing the show, theh camera cut backstage to Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley fighting. The Death Riders ganged up on Ospreay, but Alex Windsor stood behind him, along with Callum Newman and the United Empire.
A brawl started between all of them, with Ospreay bouncing Mox’s head off of a pillar. Hinare almost got spiked on car. The United Empire stood tall.
Alex Windsor and Marina Shafir went down the ramp to the ring. Then the rest followed. Ospreay and Mox were in the ring, with Ospreay pounding Mox. Shafir came in and put him in a choke hold. Alex Windsor landed a massive lariat on Shafir.
There was back and forth action from all, as various duos squared off in the ring with alternating centers of foci. Ospreay and Mox were fighting, and Newman landed a massive stomp. The Death Riders left and the United Empire stood tall.
“We are going to creatE some chaos in Canada.” Ospreay announced that the main event would be the Death Riders vs the United Empire.
-Commentary noted that Tony Khan vacated the TNT Championship. A video played with Don Callis announcing that the title will be decided by a Casino Gauntle match at Dynasty. He talked further about how he liked that people don’t all get along within his faction as that is how professional spors teams are run. He ended by saying, “Kyle Fletcher strong.”
(1) DARBY ALLIN & BANDIDO & JACK PERRY vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & ANDRADE & MARK DAVIS
Darby Allin was the first to come out, followed by Bandido and Jack Perry. Commentary noted that Brody King had to miss the match due to personal reasons (Brody King’s friend died, and he noted in a Twitter post that he was grateful to Tony Kahn for the time to grieve). The Don Callis Family entered next.
The bell rang at 8:13, and Andrade and Darby Allin started the match, but Andrade immediately tagged out and walked away. Takeshita and Darby fought, with Darby being overpowered by Davis and Takeshita.
Once ringside, Darby grabbed a microphone and began shouting. “Why are you Don Callis’ little bitch?” asked Darby Allin mid-match as Andrade returned to the top of the ramp. This allowed Takeshita to grab Darby for a rolling German suplex.
Back in the ring, Jack Perry fought, landing a moonsault from the top rope outside onto Davis and Takeshita. Perry attempted a flying maneuver off the top rope onto Takeshita, but he caught him with a right hand in mid-air. He threw Perry ringside, where Andrade was waiting. Andrade overpowered Perry and then flirted with a ringside fan before taking a selfie with her. [c]
Returning from commercial, the action was back and forth between Davis and Perry. Perry tagged in Bandido. Bandido went right after Davis and Takeshita, regaining control of the match by lifting Takeshita above his head and smashing him onto Davis. Bandido attempted to escape a Butcher’s thunder bomb, but Takeshita grabbed his pants and executed the maneuver. He pinned Bandido, but Bandido kicked out. Takeshita tagged in Davis, who continued to dominate Bandido until Bandido reversed a pop-up bomb into a hurricanrana, pinning Davis for a two count.
Darby Allin landed a tope on Andrade, but Mark Davis immediately came to Andrade’s aid. Davis and Takeshita swung Darby and threw him over the timekeeper’s table, landing on folding chairs.
The action returned to the ring as Jack Perry fought all members of the DCF until Takeshita accidentally struck Davis. Davis delivered his Bump Lariat and piledriver onto Jack Perry. As Andrade was legal, he set Perry up for the DMI, landed it, and pinned him. The bell rang at 8:25.
WINNERS: The Don Callis Family in 13:00.
(Adams’ Analysis: A strange match that felt like it had very low stakes, it was nevertheless a frantic, chaotic, and explosive start to the night. I am very unsure of TK’s booking choice to have Jack Perry continue to take pins as a champion. It further cements the National Championship as a Nothing championship.)
-DCF continued to attack Jack Perry, but Darby and Bandido entered the ring to support him. Andrade and Darby Allin exchanged words and strikes. The Young Bucks came to Jack Perry’s aid in the ring, superkicking the entire DCF as they spilled out from backstage, and delivering a BTE Trigger to Davis. While the Bucks set up Takeshita for the Meltzer Driver, Okada ran down the ramp and made the save.
Okada and Takeshita initially worked together, but quickly they began exchanging blows after starting off with coordinated offense. The other members of the DCF separated them, and as they walked away, the Rascalz entered the ring, then leaped out with various dives, culminating in Myron Reed diving onto Okada. The faces stood tall in the ring as commentary recapped the rest of the show.
-Dr. Samson was backstage with Lexy Nair. They discussed Kenny Omega’s medical condition, with Samson assuring everybody that “[Kenny’s] ready to go.” [c]
(2) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. QUEEN AMINATA – TBS Title match
As Queen Aminate came to the ring, commentary reminded everyone that she hadn’t wrestled in five months. “She wanted to prove it to herself more than anybody else.”
Willow Nightingale entered next, and the crowd was loud in their acclaim. The bell rang at 8:36. Willow extended her hand to Aminate, but she quickly kicked Willow after shaking her hand. Willow was sent outside, and as she tried to climb back in, Aminate kicked her off the apron. The action stayed ringside, with Aminate breaking a count. She missed a running boot, which allowed Willow to regain control of the match.
Willow landed several lariats on Aminate in the turnbuckle, then attempted a pin for one after knocking Aminate to the ground. Aminate attempted a pin for two after an aggressive series of kicks. A modified Devil’s Kiss by Aminate shifted momentum again before going to commercial. [c]
Aminata had Willow in an abdominal stretch, but the momentum shifted after Willow placed Aminata in a backbreaker. Willow attempted to pin Aminata, but she kicked out at two.
Aminata rolled ringside, but Willow was able to surprise her with a rolling senton. Willow got Aminata back into the ring but missed her moonsault as Aminata rolled away. Aminata was able to land a running elbow strike, but Willow kicked out after Aminata attempted a pin.
Aminata landed a diving footstomp and pinned Willow, but Willow kicked out at 2. They traded blows in the center of the ring, with both women being knocked to their knees at various points. As Willow went for her pounce, Aminata caught her with an elbow. Willow then landed a lariat, and both women went down but were able to stand before 10. Aminata countered the Babe with the Power Bomb, and pinned Willow for 2.
Eventually, Willow landed a pounce and powerbomb to pin Aminata for the win.
WINNER: Willow in 11:00
(Adams’ Analysis: a physical match that didn’t seem full of ring rest. Aminata looked amazing, with very hard and precise strikes that didn’t seem rusty. Her facial expressions are very big, and easy to read, which makes it easy to connect to her as a wrestler. I was hoping she would win over Willow, as I am growing tired of Willow’s one-note character.)
-During the match, Hikaru Shida was seen watching and observing, appearing to be disappointed by the results of the match.
-A video was played that highlighted the story of MJF. [c]
-Returning from a commercial, fireworks went off, and Chris Jericho came out.
Commentary said nobody is like him in pro wrestling, and they were excited to have him back. After speaking briefly, Jericho declared that he was “excited to keep building this company that I helped start.” He spoke about his history, including how he had been both successful and involved in “stinkers.”
He said, “I respect pro wrestling, and this business deserved the best Chris Jericho I could possibly be. All I cared about was helping to build this company because I loved pro wrestling.” The crowd chanted “Jericho,” and he said, “This was the perfect time to sign this contract.” As he did, the Demand’s music played, and they walked down the ramp.
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)
[HOUR TWO]
“Before I say anything, let the first words out of my mouth be… Canada freaking sucks. I hate it here,” Ricochet said. He further said he came out to talk to Jericho, not to hurt him. “Do yourself a favor, and just don’t. Don’t sign the contract. Don’t come back.” Ricocher said that all the singing is what got him his abs. “But there’s a difference between ring shape and sing shape.”
Ricochet said that the rise in attendance and viewership was because of him. He said he respected Jericho and believed that he could speak for everybody when he said, “Nobody wants you here, dog.” He told him to get on his cruise ship and leave before he actually got hurt.
Jericho responded, “Wow, you’re really bald,” but he realized, “I don’t give a shit what you think.” He said a clause in his contract allowed him to choose who he would wrestle at Dynasty.
After talking more about his contract and who he could choose, he finally remakred, “You know what happens when you’re bald, when you came out in a fancy pants little sweat suit… you know what happened… YOU JUST MADE THE LIST.” The crowd exclaimed as Ricochet and the Demand watched him walk away. Richochet was mumbling, “You can’t have a list.”
-Backstage, Lexi was with the Don Callis Family. He said, “Speaking of big matches at Dynasty, Andrade was going to put Darby Allin in the dirt and get a title shot.” Don Callis mentioned that Okada and Takeshita would team up against the Young Bucks at Dynasty. Takeshita demanded a shot at the International Title, and Callis agreed. After Callis compared the DCF to the Chicago Bulls, Okada said to Takeshita, “You’re Scotty Pippin, I’m Michael Jordan.” Takeshita was mad and tried to hit Okada afterward, but they were broken up.
(3) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. DORADA – Winner Enters the Dynasty Casino Gauntlet match first
The bell rang at 12 minutes. Tommaso Ciampa and Mascara Dorada met in the center of the ring, but Ciampa secured a wrist lock to retain control. Ciampa attempted to take Dorada’s mask off, but he evaded the attempt. Back-and-forth action, with many reversals and counters, kept the pace fast throughout the match.
Dorada landed a tornillo, then they cut to commercial. [c]
Returning, both men traded blows in the center of the ring. Dorada countered Ciampa’s offense by landing a moonsault off the turnbuckle onto Ciampa on the floor. Back in the ring, Dorada landed a 450 splash, pinned Ciampa, but only for a two-count.
As Dorada performed a handspring, Ciampa landed a basement dropkick. He then executed an air raid and pinned Dorada, but Dorada kicked out at two.
Dorada landed his neckbreaker, but Ciampa kicked out at two after a pin attempt. Dorada performed a moonsault, but Ciampa got his feet up. Ciamppa landed a Widow’s Bell DDT and a running knee to Dorada’s face. He pinned him for three.
WINNER: Ciampa in 11:00 to earn the first entry slot at Dynasty’s Casino Gauntlet match.
(Adams’ Analysis: A few moments of sloppy sequencing can’t take away from the hard hits of this match. Ciampa fits into AEW, and his current work in AEW outshines his main roster run in WWE. Dorada is my favorite luchador, and he moves like a superhero. His size and musculature make his performances that much more impressive.)
-They cut backstage to David Finlay and Clark Connors, who are beating up Orange Cassidy and Roddy. Gabe Kidd came in camera and said, “We are going to bite every one of your heads off.” Finlay said, “We’re coming for your bodies, and we’re coming for your gold”. They promoted their match for Trios gold on Saturday [c]
-Backstage, Lexi was with Thekla. “Thekla said, “I would have dragged you on stage at a strip club and broken all of your fingers” if Lexi believed Jamie would win on Sunday. She said she had taken out Jamie because she was the easiest. “You were the dumbest bitch alive. I was done playing. At Dynasty, you will be the dumbest bitch dead.”
-Adam Copeland’s music played and he came out to major fanfare.Nigel asked, “Can Cope trust Christian Cage?
In the ring, Cope, spoke first, “Jealousy and pettiness started all of this, “Cope said. ‘It’s what broke up Rated FTR.’
Christian said FTR pissed off the entire country of Canada. “As everyone’s favorite father figure, I have to say that you have been very naughty. I had to pay your moms a visit. And just so we are clear, when I say I paid them a visit, I banged them both.” He said he was going to visit Stoke’s mom also, but he will do so as one half of the AEW tag team champions.
FTR’s music hit and they came down the ramp, Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero attached Cope and Cage. Trent Beretta took out Copeland with a chair. Christian fought both members of FTR. Stokely landed a spear on Christian, and then they set up Christian’s hand in a chair, with Stokely first taking off the Rolex. They smashed the chair [c]
-Returning to a commercial, Darby was backstage. “I care way too much” about this life. “I’m scared, like maybe I can’t win the big one. That I can’t the face of the brand.” He said he doesn’t think Andrade is prepared for Dynasty, and that he needs this win more than anything. “I’ve always been enough!”
(Adams’ Analysis: “I’ve always been enough,” screamed over and over is therapy. It’s beautiful. He felt so real!)
(4) UNITED EMPIRE (Will Ospreay & Callum Newman & Henare & Franceso Akira w/Alex Windsor) vs. THE DEATH RIDERS (Jon Moxley & Daniel Garcia & Pac & Claudio Castagnoli w/Marina Shafir)
The United Empire came out first, with Ospreay getting a solo entrance afterward
The Death Riders walked down a red hallway and through the crowd. The bell rang at 44 minutes as United Empire ran into the crowd and met the Death Riders. The action came back ringside, with Ospreay and Mox facing off ringside.
On the top of the ramp, Claudio picked Akira up above his head, held him, then dropped him on his knee.
Alex Windsor came out and attacked Marina Shafir. As Claudio stood and gloated, Akira came from behind him with a ladder as a battering ram. In the ring, Ospreay and Akira set up the ladder, with Ospreay catching Mox with a kick. Akira climbed and jumped ringside with a massive crossbody. [c]
Back from commercial, Ospreay was being beaten by Moxley after suffering a pildeiver during the commercial. Mox held a sleeper, but Ospreay escaped.
Mox landed a stomp on Ospreay as he was in the Dragon Tamer by Garcia. Akira made the save during the pin attempt. Mox and Akira traded blows in the center of the ring, with Moxley winning the exchange with a massive lariat. Callum Newman and Mox squared off, leading to Stereo Oz Cutters by Ospreay and Newman.
[OVERRUN]
Akira jumped over the top rope into the arms of Claudio. Claudio walked up the stairs set up near a table ringside, but Akira escaped.
Akira powerbombed Garcia onto a table that didn’t break. Akira tried to splash through the table but overshot. The table still did not break
Mox and Ospreay were trading blows in the center of the ring. Moxley landed three paradigm shifts onto Will Ospreay, but Callum Newman delivered a lariat before Mox could perform another piledvriver . Ospreay landed a hidden blade through the table to pin Mox with the assist of Callum at 2:05
Winners: United Empire in 20:00.
After the match, Will put Mox into position for a Stylez Clash, but Claudio got Mox out of the danger zone.
-A video was played on the impact of Kenny Omega on the sport of professional wrestling
-Tony handed Kenny the microphone. “It had been 25 years since I had been here,” he said. He recounted a story from his past. He said he wasn’t proud of losing his cool last week, and if it hadn’t been for Speedball, he might have done something that changed everything. He wondered what it was that made him so mad, and he thought about all the monikers of his career. “These are things each and every one of you have said about yours truly.”
His humility gave way to recognizing his accomplishments, and he said, “I created professional wrestling in my image. That’s what the god of professional wrestling did. MJF only pulled the rug out from underneath people.”
“All of this that you saw before you, I thought it was my responsibility. I thought it was all on me to save the place where the best wrestled. MJF, I was wrong. This wasn’t my responsibility alone. This wasn’t my legacy. Edmonton, this was OUR LEGACY.”
He spoke about Dynasty, making promises of victory. “MJF, in Vancouver, I will take that belt from you and will start to right the wrongs that you have committed in this company. So be it, so shall it come to pass.”
MJF’s music hit, and he walked to the ring. “It will be your last shot at the world championship. The clock is ticking.”
MJF said that the people’s god will fall, and the devil will rise, sit on the throne, where only he belongs.
Kenny challenged MJF to shake his hand and honor the long tradition of shaking before PPV’s. MJF declined, but tried to hit Kenny. He ducked and delivered a flying knee. Kenny took his golden ring, put it on his pinky, and delivered his famous catchphrase to end the show.
(Adams’ Analysis: Everything about this promo hit. It told a story that spanned decades. It raised the stakes for Dynasty. He understands that professional wrestling can feel cosmological, huge, in the way the matches between these titans should feel. )
FINAL THOUGHTS: The episode had a large amount of promo work. It was unexpected, as this is not the pace AEW follows in its shows. But there was so much meat in each promo that NONE of them felt unnecessary. Each promo added a layer to the feud or to the wrestler’s psyche. On another note, the wrestling was fantastic, hard-hitting, and satisfied every itch to watch high-flying moves and great mat work. AEW continues to thrive. We are lucky!
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