AEW Dynamite 4/22/2026
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/aew-dynamite-4152026-spring-break-thru.html
We are in Portland, OR. Tony Schiavone and Excalibur are on commentary.
MJF comes out. He tells the crowd to show him the respect he has earned. He says last week will forever be known as "The Seattle Screwjob". He says he beat Omega then was told 3 days later he's facing Darby. He says he got hit in the nuts and the ref fast counted him. He says Darby's not the champ but a cheat.
He says Darby couldn't beat him if he's prepared. He says he's the most complete pro wrestler and has beaten every top name in wrestling. He says he's the best wrestler in the world. He says if Darby has dignity, he will come give him his title back.
Kevin Knight comes out instead. He says it's a different city but the same Max whining like a little b!tch. We then get a little b!tch chant. Kev says he had him pinned in the middle of the ring a few weeks ago and says if anyone got screwed, it's him. He says he should be Jet 2 Belts.
MJF mocks him. He says he beat him with a heatseeker in that match. MJF says he's the only person who should be champ. MJF says his TNT title fits him as he's a workhorse, an average joe and someone with a ceiling that will never be AEW champ.
Kev says he keeps running his mouth and he will have to slap the big nose off his face. Kev says he's an absolute gold mine. He says some of the best in the world held this title and it's no coincidence that MJF hasn't. He says MJF has had everything handed to him and he says he should hand him an @ss whooping.
MJF asks what he gets out of that. He says Kev made him want the TNT Title. He says he can tell how proud Kev is about the title and he says he'd love to turn the pride into depression. He says if the title is on the line, he's got a match. Kev agrees. He says we are in Rip City and he will rip him a new one. MJF says to get a ref out.
The ref holds the belt up then MJF goes out. MJF says Kev will dance with the devil next week.
Thoughts: Knight did fine here and AEW is clearly interested in seeing how far he can go as a singles guy. It's worth a try.
Renee interviews The Demand and Chris Jericho. Renee says there will be a 6-man tag on Collision and asks if Jericho knows his partners are. Ric says he doesn't know and Toa says he burnt every bridge. Jericho shows up a shirt mocking Ricochet' line about him and says he trademarked the phrase. Ric says things will go the same as he will beat him with a ricosault. Chris says he doesn't need someone who likes him, just someone who doesn't like Ric.
Brody King vs Lio Rush
Lio acts goofy in the ring and King drags him by the leg. Lio offer a handshake and King gives him one. King then doesn't let go so Lio bites the wrist. Lio is slammed off a crossbody attempt. King corner splashes him twice.
King gets chopped and chops him harder outside. King misses a crossbody against the rails. Lio jumps on him off the commentary table and is caught. Lio pushes him into the rail and post.
We go to PiP break and return. Lio hits some slaps. King backdrops him then lariats him. Lio stunners him over the 2nd rope. Lio eye rakes him then handspring kicks him off the apron. Lio low topes him outside. King crossbodies him outside. Lio top rope frogsplashes King's back for 1.
King black hole slams Lio. King corner cannonballs him then over the shoulder piledrivers him and pins him.
Thoughts: It went longer than it really needed to and King won as expected. I don't even know if Lio knows what he's doing but AEW seems interested in it. The work was fine but it was average.
Brody King says he will be keeping an eye on the world title match. He says congratulations if Ciampa wins. He says he's proud of Darby but not proud enough to not bring the violence.
Tomasso Ciampa is interviewed by Renee. He says he's been told what he's not his entire career. He say she's not told he's big enough, doesn't pass the airport test and isn't charismatic enough. He says he's a father, a son and a brother and has insane work ethic. He says tonight is about proving glass ceilings are imaginary. He says it's about the AEW Title. He asks if Darby wants this more than he needs it.
Adam Copeland does a promo. He says FTR told him that Cope and Cage won't get another title shot. He says he came up with a plan. He challenges them to a New York Street Fight at Double or Nothing. Cope says they will retire as a team if FTR beats them. He says he knows what their answer should be unless they know they aren't better. He says the ball is in their court.
Hikaru Shida vs Mina Shirakawa
Shida does an inset promo with Kris. She says AEW fans will get to see the great style of her and Mina and says may the best joshi win.
Mina side headlocks her. Shida blocks an armdrag then knees her in the gut. Shida hits forearms then Mina forearms back. Shida throws her and Mina throws her back. They try dropkicks at the same time. Mina kicks her off the buckles then slingblades her.
They trade pin attempts. Shida flying knees her. We go to PiP break and return. Mina flying headscissors her. Mina boots Shida off the ropes. Mina dragon screws her around the middle rope. Mina slingshot tornillo splashes her for 2.
Mina kneebreakers her. Mina dropkicks her in the leg. Shida reverse headscissors her into the steps. Shida walks up the steps with Mina on her shoulders. Shida b-drivers her on the apron. Shida top rope diving meteora's her for 2. Shinda knees her in the face for 2.
Mina drops her with a spinning forearm and both go down. Shida high kicks her and Mina urakens her. Mina top rope dropkicks her. Mina top rope diving slingblades her for 2. Mina figure fours her. Shida goes her kendo stick and Mina grabs it first. Kris Statlander takes the stick from Mina. Shida flying knees Mina then falcon arrows her for the win.
Thoughts: It wasn't really that good. It had a slower pace to it and the execution wasn't that good. The ref also did some terrible counting here. I was a little surprised to see Mina lose since she's been pushed harder.
We get a video on Takeshita and Okada.
Will Ospreay vs Mark Davis
Will runs at him and is shouldered. Mark shoulders him off the apron into the rails. Mark then runs him over into the rails outside. Mark misses a senton and takes a basement dropkick.
Will avoids being sent into the steps and then kicks the steps into Mark's knee. Will flying headscissors him off the steps. Will springboard forearms him inside for 1. Will hits Kawada kicks and Mark chops him down. Mark lariats him over the top.
Mark hits knees to the gut outside then pushes his face into the ramp. Will superkicks him from the ramp then cannonballs him off the ramp. We go to PiP break and return.
Will boots him out of the corner. Mark bridging neckbreakers him. Mark low running forearms him inside for 2. Will handspring corkscrew kicks him. Will running facekicks him then diving forearms him in the back of the head from the top. Will spin kicks him in the gut. Will sits up top and Mark hits a hard lariat to send him down. Mark does like a reverse olympic slam for 2. Will hook kicks him then standing spanish flies him for 2.
Will hits forearms. Mark punches him. Will spin kicks him in the face. Mark backdrops him three times in a row for 2. Mark enzugiri's him. Will hits a hidden blade for 2. Mark lariats him. Mark yanks him into a piledriver for 2. Mark piledrivers him on the apron.
The doc checks on Will and Don Callis does too. The ref then calls the match off as the doc says Will can't go.
Thoughts: I was surprised to see Mark win but they did a good job with it. Will didn't get pinned and they would have overdone it if they went any further. Mark hit some stiff shots him and powered him around while Will sold.
Mark grabs Will after and goes for a piledriver. The Death Riders surround the ring and Mox gets in. They all stare at Mark. Claudi then carries Will out through the crowd.
Alex Windsor is interviewed. She says she will rip off Thekla's legs. Persephone interrupts. She says she wants to kick some annoying @sses and will join Alex to fight them. Alex says to pick two members and they will fight them on Collision.
Samoa Joe vs Cody Chhun
This is Joe's return. CC and Joe trade armlocks. Joe fireman's carry takeovers him. Joe headbutts CC in the hand. CC hits a punch and Joe no sells it. CC hits punches and takes a back elbow. Joe hits punches and punch flurries him in the corner.
CC eye rakes him then Joe walks away from his 2nd rope crossbody. CC is thrown face first into the 2nd buckle. Joe muscle busters him and picks up the win.
Thoughts: Joe won as expected here. Cody got a few shots in before going down in this short squash.
Hook claps for Joe on the stage and they shake hands.
We get a Darby Allin highlight video.
Renee talks to Chris Jericho and asks who his partners will be. Jericho has The Hurt Syndicate come out of his room. MVP says it's never personal, just business.
Tony Schiavone interviews Darby Allin in the ring. DA says the title took everything. He says he had his first match in Portland. He says his reign could end in minutes when Ciampa comes out. He says it's just a 15 minute ride. He says the title isn't just for him but for his family and the fans. He says when the 15 minute ride is over, he wants to know who he is looking at.
MJF interrupts. He says Darby doesn't deserve sh!t. He tells him to give him his belt now. Darby says "no". MJF says to give him a rematch now and Darby says no. Darby says he won't give him a rematch until MJF puts something on the line. He says everyone deserves a shot at this. He says it starts with Ciampa now and tells him to get his @ss out of his ring.
AEW World Title - Darby Allin (c) vs Tomasso Ciampa
Ciampa stares at MJF as he walks down the ramp.
They hockey fight. TC chops and punches him in the corner. TC facekicks him. DA shotgun dropkicks him in the corner. DA top rope coffin drops him outside. TC pushes DA into the commentary table with his feet. DA is sent into the rails. We go to PiP break and return.
TC foot chokes him outside. TC catapults him throat first into the ring rungs. DA is sent into the rails. TC misses a facekick there. DA jumps off the post and plancha's him through the timekeeper's table over the rail.
DA then topes him. TC gets busted open big from it. DA is crotched up top. TC stomps him. DA reverse ddt's him and TC pulls the top buckle off. DA is gut first on the top buckle. TC chops him. TC does a very dangerous 2nd rope raid crash on the floor. We go to PiP break and return.
They trade forearms. TC chops him several times in the corner. DA double stomps him off the 2nd rope. DA is flipped off a back body drop. TC running knees him. DA code red's him for 2.
DA tries a coffin drop but TC grounded chokes him. DA gets a 2 count off of it. DA is then sent into the exposed buckle. TC pumping knees him for 2. TC powerbomb backbreakers him. TC pumping knees him for 2. DA blocks a scorpion deathlock. DA then scorpion deathlocks him. TC submits.
Thoughts: The 2nd rope air raid crash to the floor really should have ended it. That was too much and a pretty nasty bump. But they had to keep on going. TC likely got headbutted on a tope and did some serious bleeding here with his face covered. Darby got the win here as expected. I would have liked to have seen more work on the legs and back before Darby won with the sharpshooter.
Brody King comes out and help up Darby. He says he was serious when he said he was proud of him. He challenges him for next week.
Overall thoughts: Outside of the opening segment, it as mostly all wrestling. King/Lio was average. Mina/Shida wasn't that good. I liked Davis/Ospreay. Samoa Joe won a squash. Darby/Ciampa was a stiff match as expected and I thought they did too much in it. Ciampa bled like crazy during it. I'd give it a 5 out of 10. There wasn't a lot going on storyline wise and a whole bunch of people were missing and I really only liked one of the matches. I thought it was around with some highs and lows.
