AEW Dynamite 7/23/2025

AEW Dynamite 7/23/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/aew-dynamite-7162025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/aew-dynamite-7302025.html

We are still in Chicago, IL. They announce a tag tournament for a title shot that starts tonight.

Renee interviews Adam Page backstage. Page says The Death Riders bloodied and hanged Colt Cabana and he will punish Yuta for it. MJF comes in and says he will beat Page for the title. He says he won't do it with the contract. Page says MJF won't goad him into a title match and calls him a gutless coward and a child.

Adam Page vs Wheeler Yuta

Yuta nails Page while he's on the apron then he topes him. Yuta hits a top rope diving lariat. Page hits punches with his jacket on. Page then stomps him in the corner. Yuta is sent into the LED board rails. Page fallaway slams him into the corner and running facekicks him there.

Yuta back elbows him then Page hits a death valley driver for 2. Yuta eye rakes him then is lariated. Page buckshot lariats him and gets the pin.

Thoughts: It was short and fine for what it was. Yuta lost as expected and did fine as the heel here.

Page punches Yuta in the head with his chain after. Pge teases hanging him with it and says nobody is coming to save him. Yuta has blood all over him.

Billie Starkz does a promo with Athena. She says Toni Storm is jealous and desperate and can't touch Athena in the ring. She says she has Athena's title. Athena says Billie will take out Toni tonight. Athena says Toni's movie is almost over.

AEW Eliminator Series Tag Team Tournament 1st Round - FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey

Stokeley Hathaway is with FTR but is on crutches. The heels pound on the faces in the corner then punch Mike together. Mike rolls up Dax for 2 and hits a kick combo. Dax is superkicked into a german for 2. Mike and Kevin hit stereo plancha's out together.

Dax hits chops on Mike then chokes him with his jacket. Mike and Dax trade. Dax is back body dropped onto the ramp then Cash is as well. We go to PiP break and return. 

Mike hurricanrana's Cash off the buckles. Mike and Kevin hit stereo top rope dropkicks. Cash takes a jumping ddt for 2. Kevin does a springboard splash while Mike does a top rope moonsault outside. Dax dragon screws Kevin. Dax offers to a high five a fan then pulls his hand away.

Kevin's leg is banged off the post. Dax then figure fours him around the post. Mike hits kicks on Dax then takes a dragon screw on the floor. Dax then dragon screws Kevin inside and sharpshooters him. Cash sharpshooters Mike on the floor at the same time.

Kevin is superplexed but gets his knees up on Cash's top rope splash. Mike top rope ssp's Dax for 2. 

We go to another PiP break and return. Kevin springboard lariats Cash. Mike facekicks Cash on the top rope then does a springboard corkscrew moonsault on FTR outside. Mike misses a top rope SSP. Mike PK's Dax then standing moonsault double knee drops him. Dax takes an electric chair dropkick for 2.

Cash is back body dropped over the timekeeper's rail and nearly lands on someone. Mike jumps over the rail and dives on Cash. Kevin runs into Dax's boot on a top rope 180 splash. Kevin gets a 2 count on Dax. Dax slingshot sitout powerbombs Mike then Kevin gets a 2 count on Dax. Dax then pins Mike while holding Stoke's crutch for leverage.

Thoughts: I liked it. They didn't go too overboard here and the faces flew while the the heels acted like heels. Mike's corkscrew moonsault to the outside was really impressive. It was good match.

Tony Schiavone congratulates FTR in the ring. Tony says Cope said he's here for FTR. Stoke says Cope belongs in prison. He says Cope is a horrible human being, a loser and a cancer to AEW. 

Cope comes out on the stage. Stoke says Cope is not allowed to get near FTR. Cope says he forgot but he said he made a business deal with some gentlemen who are willing to come down and do what he can't do. He says their business is hurting people. The Hurt Syndicate then come out minus MJF.

The Hurt's fight FTR. Security tries to break it up and they fight outside. Shelton and Dax trade outside. FTR is dropped. Cope tries to spear Stoke but nails a security guard instead. 

Nick Wayne, Kip Sabian and Mother Wayne talk. Nick says they took a big risk at All In and ask what good is a risk if there's not a reward? Nick says they will start proving what a dangerous faction they are on Saturday. He says they will show what they are capable of when they are uncaged.

Jon Moxley does a video with Shafir. He said Page fought the fight of his life at All In. He said Page found something he didn't know was there. He said it was good and tells Page to get up and do it again tomorrow. Mox says he lost but he's ready to go again as he's sure Page is. Mox says avoiding a rematch is not something Page or champs do. Mox says mistakes were made and he will fix them one way or another. He says we will find out who the Page was that road out of Arlington. Shafir then mouths something. 

Tony Schiavone interviews Will Ospreay in the ring. Will says he's been struggling with his neck for 10 months and it's been causing him issues. He says he's been keeping it to himself. He said he wanted to get AEW over the finish line.

He said he made promises to Swerve, Page and the fans. He says he's proud they got the belt back. Will says he was rushed to the ER when The Death Riders jumped him. He says he has 2 herniated disks in his spinal cord. He says it is treatable and says hopefully he will be back for Forbidden Door.

Will thanks Swerve for what he did. He said it was an honor to team with Page but says he will want his rematch. He says he is coming for each and every one of The Death Riders. Will then goes to leave and hugs Swerve on the stage.

We get a video with Julia Hart, Skye Blue and Thekla posing around and trying to look scary. They say they aren't twins or sisters, they just have one bond. They say whoever is not with them is against them. They say the last thing you see will be us there.

Willow Nightingale is interviewed. She is asked what's next. She says she likes Page being champ and says we have new girls on the roster. She says Thekla can meet her in the ring.

The Hurt Syndicate are interviewed. MJF walks in. MJF asks if they are boys with Cope now and asks where they were when he was nose to nose with Page. MVP says they are in the business of hurting people and made a business arrangement with Cope. MJF says to get to business of putting the title around his waist. Bobby then shoves MJF against the lockers. He says they don't need to help him with sh!t. He says they aren't his lackeys and every week it's "I, I, I". Bobby says he wants him out of The Hurt Syndicate and does the thumbs down. Shelton walks away and MVP shakes his head at MJF. MJF then hits a locker.

Thoughts: We'll have to see where that one goes. It doesn't quite seem like it's the end and I don't think it is as that would be dumb, but we will see.

Athena is on the balcony for the next match.

Toni Storm vs Billie Starkz

BS hits forearms on Toni on the ropes. Toni sunset flips her for 2. BS side headlocks her then rolls her up for 2. Toni side headlocks her then shoulders her over. Toni basement dropkicks her. Toni backbreakers her.

Toni monkey flips BS. BS topes her. BS rolling sentons her off the apron on Toni's back. Toni's head is banged off the commentary table. BS uplexes her inside for 2. We go to PiP break and return.

Toni no sells BS and hits mongolian chops. Toni thesz presses her and hits mounted shots.
BS step up enzugiri's her and Toni hits a sky high for 2. Bs spin kicks her in the face then hits Finlay's oblivion for 2. BS hits forearms on Toni. Toni fisherman suplexes her for 2. BS pump kicks her. Toni victory rolls her for 2. BS then reverses it for 2. Toni germans her. Toni corner hip attacks her.

BS blocks a sunset flip for 2. BS top rope swantons but Toni gets her knees up. Toni then chickenwings her and submits her.

Thoughts: What we got was fine. Billie got some offense in before being put down as expected as there was no way she was going to win here. Billie didn't do much to hurt Toni though as instructed.

Billie hits Toni with a title belt after and tells Athena to come down. Billie throws the ref out. Ath hits Toni with the contract and bangs Toni's head off the steps. Ath hits Toni with the contract inside the ring. Ath teases cashing in her contract. Alex Windsor comes down and beats up Ath and Billie. 

Don Callis talks on the ramp before the Swerve/Hechicero match. He says it's a treat for the fans to witness the greatest luchador in the history of Mexico. 

Swerve Strickland vs Hechicero

SS is put in a top wristlock. SS then top wristlocks him. SS is pulled down off the leapfrog then SS escaps a grounded sleeper. Hech armdrags him. Hech has the leg then SS does an abdominal stretch variation. Hech ropebreaks.

SS does Hech's taunt. Hech slaps him. Hech does a swinging hammerlock backbreaker. Hech hits corner spears. SS tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him then suplexes him. We go to PiP break and return. The two trade shots. Hech step up knees him in the corner then slams him for 2. SS blocks a punch with the top of his head and facekicks him. SS 2nd rope diving euros him in the back of the neck. He then does Hech's taunt.

SS backbreakers Hech then corkscrew kicks him. SS hits a top rope 450 for 2. Hech flips him into a grounded armbar. Hech rolls him up for 2. SS rolls into a jumping flatliner. Lance Archer puches SS off the top and causes the DQ.

Thoughts: This was a styles clash and it wasn't that great. Both do a lot of unnecessary lead-ups to various moves and it was just a lot of people rolling around at times. I didn't think it was that great and the finish was lame.

Swerve is beaten up after by Lance and Hech. Brody King and Bandido come out to help SS then they fight up the ramp with Hech and Lance. Okada then comes in and chairs Swerve from behind. Swerve headbutts Okada and puts a chair around his neck. Okada then runs.

The Gates of Agony and Ricochet are interviewed. Ric says they had 2 back to back wins last week. The Gates talk about their wins last week. Ric says The Gunn's are shooting blanks. Ric says they are $200,000 richer now. Ric says they don't care what you think of them and one way or the other, you will respect or fear them.

MJF comes out and talks on the ramp. MJF says he doesn't need Lashley to get the title back. He says Page is the coward for not wanting to wrestle him unless he uses his contract. MJF says he will beat him in the ring and says his belt will be around his waist.

Mark Briscoe comes out before MJF is done. Mark says he's doing all he can to exercise self-control as all he wants to do is shove a microphone up MJF's @ss. He says they will dock his paycheck though as they will never get that back. Mark says MJF stole the casino gauntlet win from him. Mark says he wants MJF in the ring and says they should do it next week.

MJF says no and mocks Mark. He says when the pressure is on, Mark loses. He says he wins when the pressure is on. MJF says he thinks Mark sucks. He says Mark is funny and entertaining but says not even Mark's biggest fans think he's a top guy or near his level. He says Mark is a joke and the circus clown who is paraded around for cheap laughs and pops. MJF says the people don't respect him. MJF says he knew another guy from Delaware that people did respect and look up to. He says that guy would be worth his time. He says he can't imagine how depressing it is for Mark to wake up everyday and know nobody will respect Mark as much as they did Jay. Mark then run down and MJF runs away. 

Mark Briscoe vs Claudio Castagnoli

CC backs up Mark in the corner and chops him. They chop each other. CC euros him and Mark hits chops. They trade shots. Mark flips out of a back body drop and chops him over. Mark boots him in the corner.

Mark is dropped face first on the buckles and CC corner lariats him. CC boots him in the corner. They chop each other while Mark is on the apron. Mark pulls him over the top to the floor. Mark lariats CC over the top to the floor. CC swings Mark into the rails outside. We go to PiP break and return. They fight on the buckles. Mark comes off the top and runs into a CC euro for 2.

Darby Allin appears in the crowd and motions at CC. Mark hits chops on CC. Mark flying forearms CC. Mark hits a corner lariat then back enzugiri's him. Mark uranages him for 2. Mark tope con hilos CC through the ropes. Mark then poses on the commentary table. Mark elbow drops CC from the table to the floor.

Mark then runs the rail and headhunters him on the floor. Mark hits a top rope froggy bow for 2. CC is on the top rope and Mark slaps him. CC crotches Mark on the top rope. CC then 2nd rope slams Mark down for 2.

CC hits downward elbows. CC eye rakes him and running euros him for 2. Mark cradles CC and wins.

Thoughts: The finish was a bit weak here. The first half was not much but chops and forearms and wasn't their best work. It got a little better in the 2nd half but was just average or okay to me.

Marina Shafir chopblocks Mark after. The Death Riders come out. Mox says Page thinks he's champ as he is walking around with the belt. Mox says they want to make sure no one around here gets too comfortable. Mark is dropped gut first on the bottom of a chair.

Adam Page comes out. He says Mox lied when he said he didn't want a texas death match. Page says he will prove himself to Mox and challenges him to a title match next week. Page says Mox will be the challenger and will play by his rules. Page says everyone but a ref is banned from ringside. Page says he will see him next week and calls him a dumb@ss.

Overall thoughts: It wasn't one of the more loaded cards here as half the roster is still out nursing injuries from All In. There was a lot of MJF on this show and a lot of focus on Page vs Mox. The show was fine overall but AEW kind of took the night off here for this one and didn't put a ton of thought into this. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 and don't think you really need to see anything here but the FTR/Knight and Bailey match was the best thing on here.