AEW Dynamite 4/8/2026

AEW Dynamite 4/8/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/aew-dynamite-412026.html

We are in Edmonton, Canada. Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness are on commentary. 

Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley are fighting in the parking lot. The Death Riders gang up on Will. Claudio throws Will on the concrete. Alex Windsor, Callum Newman, Akira Francesco and HENARE arrive in a car behind him. They all then fight with people getting their heads banged off of cars and walls. Akira dives on Claudio off a car roof. Henare's head is banged off a car then he uranage's Yuta on the car hood.

Alex Windsor and Marina Shafir fight down the ringside ramp then the others join. Akira is double stomped on in the ring. Henare shoulders over Mox. DG takes corner attacks and Akira is thrown into a dropkick on him. Pac hits kicks on Henare. Pac running lariats him. Newman facekicks Pac. Newman then plancha's Pac.

Claudio hits euros on Henare. Henare hits him in the gut then lariats him over the top and goes with him. Mox puts Will in a sleeper. Newman top rope double stomps Mox. The Death Riders go out.

Will gets on the mic. He says Mox told him to use his head and he did. He says he brought his friends. Will says they aren't done and he will give them an hour and twenty minutes. He says they will create some chaos and fight in the main.

Thoughts: It was an exciting way to open the show. I really hope AEW isn't signing Will's buddies.

We are told Kyle Fletcher was forced to vacate his TNT Title. Don Callis addresses it. He says Kyle is injured and out of action. Don says the title will be decided in a casino gauntlet match at Dynasty. He says he was setting up Protokada vs The Young Bucks but it is off. He says everyone asks when Takeshita and Okada will fight. He says Phil Jackson didn't care that Jordan and Pippen didn't get along. He says he likes that they don't get along and says you will wait a long time to see that. Don says he calls the shots. He says his crew will destroy their opponents in the trios match tonight. He says he might take MJF's money and hit the town with Connor McDavid like it's 1984. He says they will do it for Kyle and Kyle Fletcher Strong.

Bandido, Pac and Jack Perry vs The Don Callis Family (Andrade El Idolo, Mark Davis and Konosuke Takeshita)

DA = Darby Allin, KT = Konosuke Takeshita

Idolo goes to lock up with DA then walks out of the ring. DA code red's KT. Jack top rope dropkicks Mark. DA and Band then do stereo dives off the top outside. DA asks where Idolo is and tells him to quit being Don's little b!tch. DA is distracted and KT rolls him backwards twice on the ramp into a release german on the floor.

KT stomps DA's gut. Jack tags in. He casadora armdrags KT out then sends Mark out. Jack top rope moonsaults outside. Jack comes off the top and is forearmed by KT. Idolo drops Jack on the rail. Idolo then flirts with a woman. 

We go to PiP break and return. Jack chops Mark and Mark slams him. Jack step up enzugiri's Mark. Band pump kicks KT then hits shots on Mark. Band headscissors Mark down. Band gorilla press slams KT onto Mark. Band pump kicks KT. KT blue thunders him for 2. 

Mark enzugiri's Band. Band is popped up and hurricanrana's him. Band jumping kicks him. Jack poisonrana's KT and Idolo rips Jack. DA topes Idolo. Mark throws DA into the rails. DA is swung over the time keeper's rail and table onto a chair. Band is dropped on the apron.

Mark running lariats Jack. Mark piledrivers Jack. Idol spinning double underhook drops Jack and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a decent tag here. Darby got ragdolled and thrown around as usual here. It could have went longer. There was a lot of action and hard shots in this.

Jack is stomped after. Darby crawls in and pushes Idolo. Idolo kicks him in the crotch. Don and Mark rake Jack's eyes. The Young Bucks come out and fight the heels. Lance Archer, El Clon and Hechicero come down and take superkicks from The Bucks. Mark takes a double superkick and a BTE trigger. The Bucks go for a meltzer driver. Okada trips one of The Bucks. Okada and KT stomp The Bucks then bump chests. They push each other then trade forearms. The other Family members break them up. The Rascalz and Bandido then do dives on them. Myron Reed then does a big suicide dive.

Doc Sampson says he thinks Don Callis is trying to get in Kenny Omega's head. He says Kenny is in the best shape of his life and he's ready to go.  

AEW TBS Title - Willow Nightingale (c) vs Queen Aminata

This is Queen's return after being out for a while. 

They shake hands and QA boots her. QA twisting neckbreakers her. They hit each other outside. Hikaru Shida is watching in the seats. Willow is sent into the rails. Willow clubs her back and sends her into the rails. Willow hits corner lariats then short arm lariats her. QA armdrags her. QA PK's her or 2. QA bangs Willow's head off her butt.

We go to PiP break and return. QA gets a 2 count on her. Willow hits a backbreaker on QA. Willow 2nd rope dropkicks her. Willow cannonballs her off the apron. Willow misses a top rope moonsault QA running forearms her for 2. QA top rope double stomps Willow for 2.

QA double chops her and running headbutts her. Willow running lariats her. Willow backslides her for 2. QA hits an air raid crash for 2. Willow facekicks her then pounces her out of the ring. Willow doctor bombs her and wins.

Thoughts: I liked it. It was a stiff match with both hitting some hard shots. I didn't like Queen losing on her return but I knew she would. 

We get a video putting over MJF and MJF vs Kenny Omega.

Chris Jericho comes out. He says it's good to be back. He says he will sign his contract here, close to where he had his first match in 1990 in Ponoka. He then starts a Ponoka chant.

He says he took a risk and helped start the company. He says some risks paid off but he had some stinkers. He says he loves wrestling. He says all he cares about is helping younger talent as he loves this company and wrestling. 

The Demand come out and interrupt. Ricochet says Canada sucks and he hates it here. Ricochet tells him not to come back or sign his contract. He says he's been gone for a year and is bound to be rusty. Ric puts himself over. He says nobody wants CJ here and tells him to do everyone a favor, pack it up and never come back before he gets himself hurt. 

CJ says Ric really is bald. CJ says he doesn't care what he thinks. CJ says he has an open challenge and can pick any opponent at Dynasty. He says Ricochet just made the list and says he will see him at Dynasty.

Thoughts: I'm not a big Jericho fan but he did okay here and made me interested in his return.  

The Don Callis Family is interviewed. Don says Idolo will put Darby Allin in the dirt and get himself a title shot. He says it'll be Takeshita and Okada vs The Young Bucks at Dynasty. Takeshita says no and Don says we need this. Don says Kyle is on death's door and this is for him. KT says he wants to challenge Okada for his title. He says KT can. He tells them to shake hands. Okada says he's Jordan and KT is Pippen. 

Casino Gauntlet #1 Spot Match - Tommaso Ciampa vs. Mascara Dorada

TC wristlocks him then side headlock takeovers him. TC waistlock takedowns him. MD armdrags him. TC throws him down backwards. MD rolls him up. TC ropebreaks on a crossface and goes outside. 

MD corkscrew kicks him. TC facekicks him. MD walks up the ropes, flips into them and armdrags him. MD superkicks him. TC pumping knees him. They trade shots. MD headscissors him out of the corner then tornillo's him outside. We go to PiP break and return.

MD hits shots to the gut. MD top rope diving tornillo armdrags him. MD corkscrew headscissors him. MD PK's him from the apron. MD top rope moonsaults him outside. MD top rope 450's him for 2.  

MD spinning heel kicks him. MD goes for a handspring and is dropkicked. TC powerbomb backreakers him for 2. TC's head is banged off the buckles. MD 619 kicks him in the head over the top then electric chair drivers him into a neckbreaker. MD top rope moonsaults and TC gets his feet up. MD high kicks him. TC 2nd rope bridging ddt's him. TC pumping knees him and pins him.

Thoughts: It was acceptable but nothing too special. Ciampa was the favorite going in and won here. These two weren't the best match as TC is more of a striker and power guy while MD is all about the flying.

The Dogs do a promo in the back. They have Orange Cassidy and Roddy Strong down and beaten up. They say The Conglomeration has no one left. They say Jetspeed run the division but how will they do that when they bit their heads off? Finlay says they are coming for their bodies and gold. 

Thekla is interviewed. She complains about Lexi possibly saying Jamie Hayter is a former champ. She then threatens her. She says the kingdom has changed since Jamie ruled. She says now that she's here, she won't touch the title again. She says she took her out first as she knew she would be the easiest. She says she keeps coming back as she's the dumbest and not the toughest.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage come out to talk. They say jealousy and pettiness blew up Rated FTR. Cope says him and Cage will take their place back on top of the mountain as AEW Tag champs. Cage says FTR p!ssed them off and the entire country of Canada. He says they have been very naughty and were forced to pay a visit to their mothers. He says he banged them both. He says he will visit Stokely's mom as well but as one half of the tag champs. 

FTR come out. Rocky Romero and Trent Baretta jump Cope and Cage from behind. FTR then join in. Cope is hit with a chair. Cage is sent into a title belt and Cope has a chair knee'd into his head. Stoke then spears Cage. Cage's arm is pillmanized. 

Darby Allin does a promo. He says he put up facade's and says he is scared. He says he's scared he maybe can't win the big one. He says Andrade doesn't know what he has gotten himself into. He says he needs this more than anything.

United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, HENARE & Will Ospreay) vs. Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Jon Moxley & PAC)

The fight starts in the seats. Will flying forearms Mox off the rail. CC sends Henare into the rails. CC gorilla press gutbusters Akira on the stage. Alex Windsor comes out and nails Marina Shafir. Akira and Henare clothesline wrestlers with ladders. Akira jumps off a ladder onto multiple people outside. 

We go to PiP break and return. Newman and Will hit stereo plancha's. Newman is thrown face onto a rail. CC tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Will. Akira takes corner attacks. Mox chokes Henare with something. Newman takes corner attacks.

DG clubs on Will. Henare takes running corner attacks. Henare gets caught jumping off steps and CMLL is suplexed through a table by CC. We go to PiP break and return. Mox hits crossface shots on Will. CC pop up euros Henare. Will is curbstomped by Mox for 2.

Mox lariats Akira then trades forearms with Newman. Newman and Will hit stereo os cutters. CC giant swings Will. Henare spears CC off steps through a table. DG is powerbombed through a table. Akira splashes DG onto a table. Mox paradigm shifts Will then double underhook ddt's him. 

Newman lariats Mox. Will hidden blade's Mox through a table in the corner. Newman and Will double pin Mox to win. 

Thoughts: It had a lot going on. We had a lot of hardcore action with people getting hit with ladders and people going through tables. There were tons of cuts to various things that were going on and it was a bit hard to follow at times.

Will grabs Mox for a move after and CC pulls Mox to safety. 

We get a Kenny Omega video.

Tony Schiavone interviews Kenny Omega in the ring. Kenny says he hasn't been here for 25 years.  

He talks about his issues with MJF and talks about his diverticulitis. He says MJF is famous for running his mouth. He says MJF should have realized that's all he can do. He says MJF can't tell a story like Kenny does in the ring through physical actions. Kenny says he lost his cool in his ring and says he thought it was all on him to take responsibility around here.

Kenny says this isn't his legacy, it's our legacy. Kenny says the fans deserve someone who holds the title with pride. He says it won't be MJF. Kenny says he will take the belt from him and says he will give MJF the best version of Kenny that he can.

MJF comes out and has a carpet rolled out with his color pattern on it. MJF says Kenny talks like he will beat him and says he's getting better at talking (I disagree). MJF says Kenny should talk himself up. He says deep down he's scared. MJF says it will be Kenny's last shot at the AEW Title. He says the clock is ticking on his career. He says Kenny had an excuse last time they fought, saying he was at 75%. MJF says Kenny says he's 100% now and asks what his excuse will be after the PPV.

He says Kenny will find out he is not on the level of the devil. MJF says he's better than him and he knows it. Kenny asks if he will honor the tradition of shaking his challenger's hand. Kenny tells him to shake his hand. MJF goes to hit him and Kenny drops him with a pumping knee.

Kenny then takes MJF's Dynamite Diamond Ring. Kenny says the show will end with him saying goodnight to the crowd.

Thoughts: Kenny was an awful promo here as usual. You could hear a pin drop while Kenny was speaking at times. I thought it was dumb that he said MJF is jealous of him for being able to tell a story in the ring better when this is supposed to be real and the point is to win, not tell stories. And even though this is a serious title fight with MJF trying to attack him, he still had to talk in his goofy tone and not even sound upset. 

Overall thoughts: This show ran about 20 minutes long which I didn't appreciate. It really didn't need to be either when none of the other matches were that well built up to. They started things off well with the big brawl. I liked the Don Callis Family trios match. Willow/Queen was fine. Ciampa/Dorada was acceptable but those two are not natural opponents. The main was a wild brawl as well with weapons and fast paced action. Kenny's promo to end the show was terrible as usual and that segment didn't do a lot for me. The show was fine overall and I'd give it a 6 out of 10.