This was an entertaining show, not one that would set the world ablaze but a fun way to spend 2 hours. There were some odd choices made with regards to show structure, with numerous short matches that ranged in quality from an exciting opener to other sloppy and inconsequential offerings. Matches that were given time were of a higher standard, with King/Fletcher and Takeshita/Briscoe the standouts. Storytelling was efficient throughout, with Megan Bayne getting a big win over the champion and standout promo work from MJF,MVP, FTR, Chris Jericho and Swerve Strickland. The promotional sponsorship with Minecraft almost dropped my production score, but it was maintained due to it still being cleanly produced. I would however advise AEW to take care with moving graphics in the background of shots as they are deeply distracting. Efficient storytelling, fun matches and pleasingly watchable, even with deep structural problems. Not everything may be worth actively seeking out, but watch this show leisurely with a cup of tea and a biscuit and your chance of a good time is strong.
Tonight on AEW Dynamite, Toni Storm renews her former partnership with Thunder Rosa to take on Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford. Kyle Fletcher looks to rebound after his loss to Will Ospreay against Brody King. Elsewhere on the card, Konosuke Takeshita faces Mark Briscoe and Kenny Omega returns to the ring once more against Blake Christian. Lets get at it!
This week’s opening credits are interlaced with some garish promotion for The Minecraft Movie. Not only does the film look less than desirable as a film critic, but as a wrestling reviewer it is rather distracting and only gets more distracting through the show with some deeply unsettling moving graphics that render parts of the show difficult to focus on.
SQUASH Kenny Omega vs Blake Christian
I was surprised to read this match went under 5 minutes, as it packed a lot of good content into a short timeframe. Despite some online hate, I have always found Blake talented and he got some exciting and innovative offence here on Kenny.Kenny never looked in too much trouble though and won with conviction. Solid opening matchup here.
Results: Kenny Omega by Pinfall via One-Winged Angel
GREAT Kenny Omega/Mike Bailey/Ricochet Promo
Mike Bailey has never been the greatest on the microphone, and his work here was a little generic as an introduction to his character. His staredown with Omega was spinet-tingling as someone positively giddy to see them square off though, and Ricochet delivered a strong promo from his legitimate wedding. Both congratulations and incredible amounts of respect go to Ricochet. It may have been a slightly generic set up, but it did the job and set up a possible show stealer at Dynasty.
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.5 Stars
Chris Jericho berates his Learning Tree students, demanding they prove themselves, before challenging Bandido to a Mask vs Title match at Dynasty. Excellent promo from Jericho here which made me really want to see the Dynasty match in spite of any shortcomings with Jericho’s recent stories.
GREAT MJF/Hurt Syndicate/Learning Tree Promo
After an immediate dig at Prince for some hometown heat, MJF called out MVP to deliver his acceptance of a position in the Hurt Syndicate, This did not sit well with Bobby Lashley however, who firmly rejected Max from the group. The acting here from MJF, MVP and Lashley was strong and I enjoyed this part of the segment immensely. Less exciting was the pure demolition that followed as MVP broke apart Bryan Keith and Big Bill. This would’ve been fine in a more structured segment, but it was messy and I didn’t get a true sense of any legitimacy from Bill and Keith. I understand there is a story to be told in that but I struggled to tell if it was an intentional undermining of the group or MVP perhaps being a touch overbearing. Either way, I think there is a lot of meat on the bones of this segment, even if the first half convinced me more than the second.
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.75 Stars
Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa have a new tag team name which I shall not repeat. Thunder shows some interest in a title rematch, which after Toni and Thunder’s superb match at last years Dynasty would be very welcome!
AMAZING Brody King vs Kyle Fletcher
With a lot of matches on the show getting shorter shrift, a 17 minute match on this card is surprising, but King and Fletcher delivered well. King destroyed Fletcher through the first half of the match, placing Fletcher in the role of the slimy underdog clawing his way back by any means necessary. A very impressive finale with Fletcher muscling up Brody for a Turnbuckle Brainbuster, and all parties (including the ever reliable Don Callis) did their job to perfection. A few minutes could’ve been shaved away, particularly in the first act as it got a touch repetitive and slow, but the overall package was very strong and it gave Kyle a needed big win to rebound after Revolution.
Result: Kyle Fletcher by Pinfall via Turnbuckle Brainbuster
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 4 Stars
Powerhouse Hobbs comes out to save King from a Callis Family Beatdown and chaos ensues around ringside. We don’t see any of the carnage however as it all happens in the ad break. I feel seeing some carnage candy would have been more beneficial than the actual outcome of the match itself.
SQUASH Powerhouse Hobbs vs Mark Davis
This was fun for a short period but ended quickly with a Spinebuster. The match had no time to build to any sort of satisfying conclusion and came very much from nowhere. Sloppy towards the end and unsatisfying for what could well have been a big hit with more time on another show.
Result: Powerhouse Hobbs by Pinfall via Spinebuster
Nick Wayne throws more shade towards Christian Cage. Wayne is doing an underrated job on the microphone right now and I am slowly gaining some interest in what he does next.
Swerve threatens Hangman to stop him interfering at Dynasty. Always great to see these two return to each other.
A sit down interview with FTR and Cope reveal some clear tensions, though Cash plays peacekeeper and turns their focus towards the Death Rider’s trios titles. The acting in this segment from all 3 men was frankly sublime.
GREAT Swerve Strickland/Jon Moxley Promo
Though I may have some structural frustrations with this promo, it is hard to deny that Swerve and Moxley are captivating presences together. Swerve was fantastic in this segment bringing the fire in Moxley that has been sorely lacking. The sight of the two bloodhounds snarling at each other made me salivate at the prospect of this match if we can lose the shenanigans and let the two men work. I did though find a few faults in Moxley’s logic, as while he put over Swerve well, he seemed to get a little bit caught in his own rambles and contradicted himself, particularly with his mentions of not having proved himself and not suffered enough when that goes against Swerve’s own character, which Moxley himself brings up later in the promo. The set-up with Willow, Claudio, Nana and Marina could’ve been cleaner but proved the point well, but I think the end of this with Willow and Marina brawling became unnecessarily scrappy and overblown. A good segment, and one which did heighten my interest, but not the blow away success some others have proclaimed it to be.
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.75 Stars
A funny backstage segment saw Samoa Joe choke out Max Caster backstage. The weekly Caster segments are consistently entertaining.
Jay White enters himself into the Owen Hart Cup which is another huge name for that tournament.
SQUASH Top Flight vs Devo Knight/Alex Findley
I promise I have a heart, and I am happy to see Top Flight get some hometown love. However, this went 3 minutes and didn’t need to. The action and dynamic between teams wasn’t extraordinary, and so it came across like an extended drubbing. From a solely show perspective, I would’ve either taken the 3 minutes from this and added it to Hobbs/Davis or taken the time from that match and placed it in a more substantial tag match on the card. Either way, it felt surplus to the show, and didn’t do enough to advance the Collision tag match either between themselves and The Learning Tree.
Result: Top Flight by Pinfall via Frog Splash
AMAZING Konosuke Takeshita vs Mark Briscoe
When I saw Takeshita and Briscoe enter for this match, despite the critical faculties with which I approach every match, I found myself relaxing into my chair. These two men are two of the most reliable wrestlers in the company and they showed out exactly as expected. Exciting, well worked and excellently structured, this is precisely what a mid-sized TV match should do, let two great workers entertain the fans with limited story but terrific charisma and enjoyable action.
Result: Konosuke Takeshita by Pinfall via Raging Fire
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 4 Stars
GREAT Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa vs Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford
A solid main event tag here once again designed with the purpose of making Toni feel like an even greater underdog heading into her match with Megan Bayne. Bayne looked great here, and she has already demonstrated good chemistry with Storm that intrigues me in the expanded dynamic of a PPV singles match. Thunder, on the other hand, has noticeably weaker chemistry with Bayne, and that brings down the rating somewhat. Ford played her role serviceably, but this was the Toni and Megan show and they showed up very well here. The correct decision for Bayne to get a clean pin over the champion, as she looks all the more unstoppable.
David Sheldon WR Star Rating- 3.5 Stars
Overall…
This was an entertaining show, not one that would set the world ablaze but a fun way to spend 2 hours. There were some odd choices made with regards to show structure, with numerous short matches that ranged in quality from an exciting opener to other sloppy and inconsequential offerings. Matches that were given time were of a higher standard, with King/Fletcher and Takeshita/Briscoe the standouts. Storytelling was efficient throughout, with Megan Bayne getting a big win over the champion and standout promo work from MJF,MVP, FTR, Chris Jericho and Swerve Strickland. The promotional sponsorship with Minecraft almost dropped my production score, but it was maintained due to it still being cleanly produced. I would however advise AEW to take care with moving graphics in the background of shots as they are deeply distracting. Efficient storytelling, fun matches and pleasingly watchable, even with deep structural problems. Not everything may be worth actively seeking out, but watch this show leisurely with a cup of tea and a biscuit and your chance of a good time is strong.
Matches: 0.5/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.5/1 Stars
Atmosphere: 0.75/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.75/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Photo Credit: All Elite Wrestling – March 26th 2025For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here :
