AEW Dynamite 5/21/2025

AEW Dynamite 5/21/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/aew-dynamite-5142025-beach-break.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/aew-dynamite-5282025.html

Tony Schiavone is in the ring to start. He brings out Adam Page and Will Ospreay. Will look like a bum here. We have security around the ring but Will says they don't them. Will asks if Page still drinks. Will says he has beers and gives him one. Will wants to do cheers and the beer starts foaming everywhere.

Will says they should be in the main event. He says we don't know what's at stake as he wants to follow Anarchy in the Arena. He says the winner has to bring back the title. Will says he wants this.

Will says he does a 15 hour flight every week and doesn't sleep on Tuesdays. Will says he wants to bring the belt home. Will says he wants to show his neighbors the title and says he wants the title more. Page says Will wants this and he has lived it. Page says there's no prize greater than to be champ. He says this could be a professional accomplishment for Will. Page says it's personal.

Page says he needs the opportunity. He said he wasted 2 years of his life and hasn't won a title or a tournament. Page says he needs this. He says he needs it so Will will learn that he was wrong when he said it was too little, too late.

Will asks what he's planning to do about it. Will says he's showing up and doing his best. He says sometimes his best hasn't been good enough. He says he won the fans trust and respect. He said he lost to Mox twice and doesn't know what it takes to beat him. He tells Page to bring to bring what he beat Mox with so he knows he can beat Mox.

Will says kids don't look up to Page and says people lost respect for him. Will says he will just show up and be his best. He talks about people he has beaten and says he's the best. He says anything can happen when the bell rings. He says he's happy for him if Will wins. He says he will watch his back and hopes Page will watch his back too if he wins. Will says to meet him in the desert and says he's calling him out for a shootout. They then drink beer and stare down. They then walk out together and stare down.

Thoughts: I liked this. It just would have been better if it had happened a little earlier so they could build on it. 

We see Mox and Shafir head into the building. Mox says tensions are rising and says the spoils will go to those who embrace the anarchy.

Jon Moxley and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs Swerve Strickland and The Ops (Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs)

Mox and Joe trade forearms to start. Joe spinning forearms him. Hobbs hits a big lariat on a Buck. The Bucks do a pop-up dropkick onto Hobbs. Swerve backbreakers a Buck then hits a hiptoss. He rolls it into a suplex. Swerve takes a flying headscissors from a Buck. The Bucks miss stereo plancha's outside as Swerve and Joe move. Mox topes Hobbs outside.

Joe takes a double superkick from The Bucks. Swerve flips and rolls into a flatliner on a Buck then does a fosbury flop over the top. Joe then topes all 3 opponents at once.

We go to PiP break and return. Mox hits corner punches on Hobbs. Mox clips Hobbs and stomps on him. A Buck slaps Hobbs in the back. Hobbs hits a world's strongest slam. Swerve comes in and hits lariats. Swerve then hits a neckbreaker and a powerslams a Buck from the powerbomb position. Swerve and a Buck flip outside and Swerve slips on something and nearly hurts himself. Swerve is then superkicked outside. The Bucks hit a sliced bread on Swerve. A Buck does a top rope swanton and lands on Swerve's knees.

Swerve takes a release suplex from Mox. A Buck jumps off the top onto Joe and Hobbs outside. Swerve takes a top rope splash + standing moonsault for 2. Swerve is bridged on the 2nd rope and takes a top rope swanton. 

We go to our second PiP break and return. Mox piledrivers Swerve for 2. Mox grounds Swerve with a hold. Swerve and Mox both go down. Joe comes in and hits shots on everyone. Joe hits a corner uranage and a poweerslam for 2. A Buck takes a corner enzugiri from Joe. Hobbs top rope frogsplashes a Buck for 2.

Swerve takes a double superkick as does Joe. Mox double underhook ddt's Joe. Swerve hits a house call kick and a double stomp off the apron.
Hobbs spinebusters Mox then both Bucks. Mox cutters Hobbs then Joe larists Mox over the top. Joe takes a double superkick then Swerve takes a double superplex. Joe chokes a Buck while Swerve backrolls the other Buck to win.

Thoughts: It was good for the most part with lots of action and Swerve having some good timing. It was a bit long though for the first match of the night.

The Death Riders come in and help beat up the faces after. Shibata then comes in to help after being out injured. Shafir low blows Shibata then Willow Nightingale comes out. Willow spears Shafir and she fights Shafir outside. Kenny Omega then comes out way late and beats up the heels. The faces bring out a table and Kenny goes for a OWA through it but can't convert. The heels escape.

Joe gets on the mic after. He says he has all their @sses this weekend and could wait, but they are coming after them tonight whether they like it or not.

The Hurt Syndicate are interviewed with their legal counsel. MVP says it's a big occasion as they add a 4th member and says to ask MJF. MJF comes in with a new gold suite with Mark Sterling. MVP congratulates MJF and says he will see him in a bit. MJF then tells the interviewer she can leave. He says it was a pleasure doing business.

The Hurt Syndicate come out along with Mark Sterling for the induction ceremony for MJF.

MJF comes out. He says his mom told him the most important day of his life is the day you marry the love of your life. He says that dumb b!tch never joined The Hurt Syndicate. MJF and MVP rip the fans.

MVP and Shelton sign the contract but Shelton hesitates some. Bobby then stalls and MVP wonders what is going on. Bobby signs the contract. MJF says this is the greatest moment of his life.

Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes come out. MJF makes racial remarks as usual calling them "honky's". Dustin says he and Sammy are Day 1 guys. Dustin says they want more gold. Dustin says they like to hurt people and tells them to hurt him. Dustin talks about his team and says he'd bet on his team at Double or Nothing.

Thoughts: This didn't work. No one believes that Sammy and Dustin are winning and their interruption screwed up the payoff of this long storyline.

Kazuchika Okada is interviewed and asked about his response to Mike Bailey. He says Mike doesn't call him out, he calls him out. He says he will find out why he's the Continental Champ and Okada's not.

Anthony Bowens vs Ricochet 

Ric tries to tell Billy Gunn to suck it then is hit by Bowens. Bowens chops Ric in the corner. Bowens goes up and over then does a floatover flying ddt. Bowens lariats Ric over the top.

Bowens sends Ric into the rail. Ric pushes Bowens into the post from the apron then sweeps him on the apron. We go to PiP break and return. Ric hits euros. Bowens hits kicks then over the back fameassers him. Bowens hits like a reverse torture rack drop on Ric. Bowens kicks Ric. Ric spin kicks him and Bowens superkicks him for 2.

Ric pumping knees Bowens then spin kicks him in the face. Bowens hits the arrival. Bowens spinning forearms him from behind and Ric goes out. Billy Gunn talks to the ref and Ric hits Bowens with his scissors. Ric then hits the spirit gun and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like this one that much. Every move they did seemed to have a spin on it and neither of these guys really needed to lose here. They have plenty of people who could have lost instead.

Ric poses on the stage. Mark Briscoe shows up behind him with a stretcher. Mark says this is where he's going then he rams him with the stretcher. Mark hits punches and puts him on the stretcher. Mark goes for a dive while Ric is on the stretcher but Ric moves. 

FTR and Stokeley Hathaway do a promo. Stoke says he has a contract for FTR's match at Double or Nothing. He says they could sign it virtually but they want to look Nigel and Garcia in the eyes before signing it. Stoke says everyone will see Nigel sign the last contract of his career.

Renee hosts a sit down talk in the ring between Mercedes Mone and Jamie Hayter. Jamie says so be it if she's the underdog. She says she will fight again and again even if she's down. She says she's a fighter and says this means more to her than Mone. She says this is about not being forgotten. She says her back is against the wall but she laces up her boots and fights hard.

Mone says she's more than a champ, she's a revolution and the Beyonce of wrestling. She says she's not looking past her, she's looking through her. Mone says she's the greatest TBS champ of all time and ogt it through hard work and dedication. She says DoN won't be where Jamie's story begins but where her chapter ends.

Jamie says Mone is looking lighter and says she lost the NJPW Women's Strong Title. She says that was her destiny and her destiny is to lose everything. Mone then attacks her. Jamie hits a big lariat. Toni Storm then comes out but we go to break.

Julia Hart vs Mina Shirakawa

This is a very weak Dynamite main event and would be more suited for Collision.

Hart wristlocks her then walks the top rope and clubs her. Mina then walks the top rope and knee presses her. Mina kicks her off the ropes and dropkicks her in the knee. Mina trips Hart.

Mina goes up to Toni outside and is hit by Hart. Mina is sent into the apron. We go to PiP break and return. Mina spin kicks her in the gut and flying knees her. Mina spinning forearms her and lariats her.

Mina dragon screws her. Hart does a tarantula variation on her. Mina urakens her. Mina does a diving crucifix bomb off the buckles. Hart STO's her.  Mina works on Hart's knee. Hart cradles her for 2. Mina spinning forearms her and urakens her. Hart rolls her up for 2 then Mina seatbelt pins her.

Thoughts: It was a short one and I don't know why this was in the main event spot. It was just a match and didn't get enough time. 

Hart attacks Mina from behind after. Mina figure fours Hart. Skye Blue then comes out and beats up Mina for unexplained reasons. Toni germans Blue. Mina holds up the title at Toni and they fight for it. Mina shoves her then dragon screws Toni when Toni tries to kicks her. Mina figure fours Toni around the post.

Thoughts: Mina was a jerk here. Toni saved her and then she took her title and ended up putting a figure four on her around the post.

Renee tries to interview The Young Bucks in the back. The Bucks say Joe promised to get their hands on them but it's the end of the night and Joe's a liar. Joe and Hobbs then attack The Bucks with a trash can. The Death Riders get involved then Willow gets involved. Swerve then comes in and Kenny does as well. They fight on the stage and get in the ring.

Omega chokes a Buck with a chain. Shibata puts a trash can on someone's head and hits kendo stick shots. Kenny takes an EVP trigger. Hobbs chairs Claudio. Mox chokes Joe with a chain. Joe sleepers Mox. Gabe Kidd then finally comes out and beats up the faces. Kenny and Swerve are on tables and The Bucks drive them through the tables off the top. Yuta chokes Prince Nana with a stick.

Thoughts: They had the right idea but they did give away a little too much here.

Overall thoughts: It started out well but the second hour went downhill. I liked the opening talk segment and the trios match. The MJF/Hurt Syndicate stuff got knocked off track by Dustin/Sammy. Bowens/Ricochet wasn't that good and Bowens lost when he shouldn't have. Hart/Mina didn't get enough time and Mina was a jerk to Toni for no reason after. We then had a big brawl where they gave away half of the Anarchy in the Arena match, so there's no real reason to pay to see it now. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 as I thought they did enough but it had room to improve.