AEW Dynamite
April 2, 2025
By: John Siino
Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois
Commentary: Excalibur, Taz & Tony Schiavone
RESULTS
- Willow Nightingale & Swerve Strickland over Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir via pinfall (13:31)
- Toni Storm over Penelope Ford via pinfall (8:13)
- Big Bill & Bryan Keith over CJ Esparza & Gaige Noonan via pinfall (1:23)
- Kevin Knight & Will Ospreay over Blake Christian & Lee Johnson via pinfall (9:17) (Recommended)
- Brody King over Lance Archer via pinfall (10:32)
- Cope over Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall (17:38)
Jay White Attacked
Before the first match started, the commentary team announced that the Death Riders had taken out Jay White. Therefore, he was removed from the upcoming Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and the brackets will have to be shuffled before they are revealed tonight.
Mixed Tornado Tag Match: Death Riders (Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir) vs. Willow Nightingale & Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana)
All four start fighting on the outside before the bell rings. They set up a table on the outside as Jon Moxley & Swerve Strickland start fighting on the announce table. Willow Nightingale & Marina Shafir enter the ring to officially start the match. Moxley & Swerve enter as Willow & Swerve start double-teaming on Moxley. Moxley sends Swerve into the crowd before giving Shafir instructions on what to do to Willow. Moxley goes to attack Willow, as Swerve threatens to do the same to Shafir before they both let go. Marina & Willow start fighting on the apron, and after a bit of a struggle, Marina powerbombs Willow onto the table as we go to our first commercial.
When we return, Marina & Moxley are going for the superplex to Swerve before Willow gets involved for a Tower of Doom spot. As Moxley & Swerve take it to the outside, Willow hits Marina with a spinebuster for two. Moxley puts a sleeper on Swerve as Marina holds Willow in the corner before Willow picks up Marina and powerbombs her onto Moxley, breaking up the submission. During a scuffle between Swerve & Moxley, Shafir pushes Moxley out of the way and takes the House Call. Willow seems to pounce Moxley onto a table on the outside, but the camera doesn’t catch the spot. Willow follows with the Babe With The Power Bomb on Marina to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Willow Nightingale & Swerve Strickland by pinfall at 13:31
Moxley enters the match after and takes out Willow with the Paradigm Shift before running back out as Swerve and the medic go to check on her.
We Have To Talk
We see earlier today, where Renee Paquette is with FTR & Paul Turner as Dax Harwood hands over a check for $10,000 to Turner for what he did to him on Collision while apologizing for his actions. Renee asked FTR if they could put their differences aside, and Harwood says absolutely as they are brothers and apologizes to Cash Wheeler, saying he thought he was a security guard and he would never put his hands on him. He goes to hug Wheeler, but Wheeler stops him and says they are brothers, but after Sunday, they have to talk.
They announce that the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament kicks off this Sunday at Dynasty, with the finals being at Double or Nothing, before revealing the brackets
Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
- Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight (replacing Jay White)
- Brody King vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher
- Adam Page vs. a wild card
Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament
- Jamie Hayter vs. Billie Starkz
- Thunder Rosa vs. Kris Statlander
- Julia Hart vs. Mercedes Mone
- Harley Cameron vs. Athena
They also announce that on this Saturday’s Collision, Mercedes Mone & Harley Cameron will team up to face Athena & Julia Hart.
Toni Storm (w/ Luther) vs. Penelope Ford
Penelope Ford goes right after Toni Storm to start the match, but Storm quickly takes over, hitting a Fisherman’s Suplex for a two. Ford takes out Storm with a big boot as we head to commercial.
We come back with Storm in control, hitting the hip attack in the corner before they take it to the outside, where Ford hits Storm with a moonsault off of the apron before taking Storm back inside and hitting the gut buster for two. Storm follows with a German Suplex, but Ford blocks the Storm Zero. A bit of back and forth before Storm is able to hit the Storm Zero and pick up the win in this non-title match.
Winner: Toni Storm by pinfall at 8:13
Megan Bayne comes out after the match and has a staredown with Storm ahead of their match on Sunday.
Renee is in the back with Swerve & Nana to try and get a medical update on Willow. Swerve says that Willow is strong, powerful & brave, so he didn’t mind facing the Death Riders with her tonight. Knowing the history of neck injuries she’s had, Moxley still decided to do what he did tonight, and now he’s on the hunt and isn’t resting until he has his hands on Moxley tonight. By the end of the night, he will have his hands on Moxley.
MJF Needs To Prove Himself
Bobby Lashley & MVP make their way to the ring, as commentary says that Shelton Benjamin couldn’t make it tonight due to travel issues from the weather. Before Lashley can say anything, he gets interrupted by MJF, who also makes his way to the ring. MJF says that Lashley (who he calls ‘Bob’) disrespected him last week. He says Lashley doesn’t know him like MVP does, so he introduces himself to him. MJF gives respect to Benjamin as well before telling Lashley that he’s standing on the block that MJF built. MJF knows how to get and stay on the top, and he can help Lashley & Benjamin hold on to their tag titles if they can help him get back his AEW World Championship. He says MJF & The Hurt Syndicate is just good business, and everybody knows it. MJF tells Lashley he might not want him, but he needs him. Lashley says out of respect for MVP, he won’t take him out, but he tells him that he doesn’t like him and doesn’t trust him, and The Hurt Syndicate does not need MJF. So unless he proves otherwise, he needs to get out of the ring right now. MJF reiterates that they want him to prove himself and walks to the back.
The Learning Tree (Big Bill & Bryan Keith) vs. CJ Esparza & Gaige Noonan
As The Hurt Syndicate is leaving, Big Bill pulls up a chair for Lashley and tells him to sit down and watch their match, but he knocks it down and decides to stand instead. Big Bill takes CJ Esparza and tosses him to the outside right in front of Lashley & MVP. Bill sends Gaige Noonan right into a knee strike from Bryan Keith before chockeslamming the guy and putting his foot on his chest to get the easy win.
Winners: The Learning Tree (Big Bill & Bryan Keith) by pinfall at 1:23
Bill gets on the mic and says they whooped Top Flight’s ass on Collision, whooped ass tonight and on Sunday they want to whoop The Hurt Syndicate’s ass and take the AEW World Tag Team Championship. MVP looks like he was going to say something, but Lashley tells him not to as they walk to the back.
The Mone Wrath Train
Renee is in the back with Mercedes Mone and brings up how she is facing Julia Hart this Sunday at the Dynasty in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Mone says even though Hart is a former TBS Champion, she isn’t the greatest TBS Champion. Harley Cameron and her puppet walk in as Harley calls her and Mone a dream team and gives a very long name. Mone tells Harley to stay out of her way at Collision before Harley settles on The Mone Wrath Train.
Will Ospreay & Kevin Knight vs. Blake Christian & Lee Johnson
Will Ospreay & Blake Christian start the match, and Christian starts taunting Ospreay, who gains the upper hand before tagging in Kevin Knight, who hits a leaping splash for a two. Lee Johnson tags in as him, and Christian starts double-teaming Knight before Ospreay breaks it up. They send Christian & Johnson to the outside before both hitting dives to the outside. Christian & Johnson gain the upper hand going to commercials. (Sii-note: The Don Callis impersonator is back in the front row)
We return with Ospreay in control over Christian, before Johnson pulls Ospreay off the apron as Christian hits him with a corkscrew tope before hitting him with a 450 stomp. Ospreay fights off both Johnson & Christian before making the hot tag to Knight. Knight fights off both Christian & Johnson before hitting a springboard lariat to Johnson to pick up the pin and the win.
Winners: Kevin Knight & Will Ospreay by pinfall at 9:17
After the match, Tony Schiavone announces that Ospreay & Knight will face off in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament this Sunday at Dynasty.
Don’t Be Caught Lacking
We go to The Opps in the back, as Samoa Joe says he formed this group because the nature of warfare is changing and he needed a different arsenal in the battlefield. They now want to expand their influence in AEW, and at Dynasty, they will be in the building watching all and says to please not to be caught lacking.
Brody King vs. Lance Archer
Don Callis goes and whispers something in his impersonator’s ear ringside before going to join commentary. Brody King & Lance Archer start with a meat-off as the crowd chants along. They take it to the outside, where Brody sets Archer up on a chair before taking him out with the crossbody. Callis leaves commentary to grab Brody’s foot, allowing Archer to take over. They take it back outside as Archer sends Brody into the steel steps. They continue to send each other into the barricades and announce table as we head to commercial.
We return with Brody taking out Archer with a German Suplex from the corner before hitting a crossbody and a senton for a two-count. Archer comes back with a chokeslam for a two before he yells at Paul Turner that it should have been a three. Brody returns that with a cannonball in the corner and a lariat for two. Brody stops a chokeslam attempt and hits a lariat to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Brody King by pinfall at 10:32
Cope vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli attacks Cope before the bell can even ring, and when it does, he immediately takes it to the outside and sends Cope into the barricade. As they fight back inside, Cope launches Castagnoli off the apron back outside, where he sends him into the ring steps and barricade. They start fighting in the middle of the ring for a while before Cope drives Claudio back down for a two-count. With Claudio on the apron, Cope spears right through the ropes as they both go crashing to the outside. Claudio comes back with an uppercut as we head to break.
When we come back, they are going back and forth, trying to suplex each other on the apron before taking it to the top rope where Cope hits a bulldog. Bryce Remsburg somehow gets caught in the ropes, and that distraction causes Claudio to poke Cope in the eyes before hitting a stomp and the Giant Swing for a two-count. Cope comes back with the Impaler for a two, himself. Claudio puts on the Sharpshooter before transitioning into the Crossface, but Cope reverses it for a Crossface himself, but Claudio powers into the ropes to break it up. Claudio power-slams Cope onto the apron before tossing him into the crowd. Back inside, Claudio hits a lariat for a two before Cope catches Claudio off the ropes with a boot. Claudio hits an uppercut and the Neutralizer, but Cope kicks out. Claudio grabs two chairs and sets up for the Conchairto, but Remsburg takes the chairs away. During this, Cope hits a low blow followed by the spear to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Cope by pinfall at 17:38
Death Riders Attack Swerve
Renee is in the back with Swerve & Nana, as Nana walks away from Swerve. Swerve tells Renee, with all due respect, that he’s looking for her husband and walks off. Adam Page stops Swerve and tells him that he’s wasting his time as he made a promise that Swerve won’t hold the AEW World Title again and that he deserved to have his house burnt down. Swerve tells Page ‘he knows’ as Page walks off. As Swerve keeps looking for Moxley, he gets jumped by all the Death Riders as Moxley sends Swerve into a wooded box that has glass. The Death Riders then drag Swerve to the ring and keep attacking him before pouring glass in the middle of the ring as Claudio powerbombs Swerve onto the glass. Swerve sits up with all the glass on his back (no blood) with a raged look on his face as the Death Riders escape into the crowd.
Collision Line-Up
- Cash Wheeler vs. PAC
- Top Flight vs. CRU (Action Andretti & Lio Rush)
- Mike Bailey vs. Dralistico (Ricochet on commentary)
- Powerhouse Hobbs & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita
- Mercedes Mone & Harley Cameron vs. Athena & Julia Hart
Dynasty Line-Up
- AEW World Tag Team Title: Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Big Bill & Bryan Keith
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament: Mercedes Mone vs. Julia Hart
- AEW TNT Title: Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Adam Cole (No Time Limit, No Outside Interference)
- AEW World Trios Title: Death Riders (c) vs. Rated FTR
- AEW International Title: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Ricochet vs. Mike Bailey
- AEW Women’s World Title: Toni Storm (c) vs. Megan Bayne
- AEW World Title: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Swerve Strickland
