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Add FightsATW on GoogleAEW was back in action this week in Portland, Oregon, live on TBS and HBO Max for ‘Dynamite‘. After last week’s heart-stopping show, AEW had to keep the momentum rolling, especially with ‘Double or Nothing‘ slowly approaching in May. Veterans Memorial Coliseum played host to AEW’s heat-check streak, which featured a battle of former brothers (Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay), the Venus of professional wrestling looking for revenge (Mina Shirakawa vs. Hikaru Shida), and the new face of professional wrestling making his first title defense (Darby Allin vs. Tommaso Ciampa). Did AEW keep the stove hot and cook up another 4-course meal (wrestling, surprises, suspense, and storytelling)? Or did their hot streak finally come to an end? Let us know what you think.
MJF ADDRESSES “THE SEATTLE SCREWJOB”
AEW Dynamite opened with a heated Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) addressing his displeasure over Darby Allin‘s AEW World Championship win last week. He coined the scandal as the “Seattle Screwjob.” MJF alleged that a quick count by official Aubrey Edwards cost him the title following his physical encounter with Kenny Omega at Dynasty only a couple of days before. MJF demanded the title be returned, but was interrupted by the reigning TNT Champion, Kevin Knight.
Knight challenged MJF’s entitlement and suggested that his own previous performance against The Devil proved he was equally deserving of that top-tier status. The exchange grew increasingly personal as MJF characterized Knight as a “workhorse” who lacked the potential to reach the pinnacle of the business. Knight responded by highlighting Friedman’s lack of history with the TNT Championship, a title known for its high defense rate. MJF teased facing Knight tonight, but only if the TNT Championship was on the line. Knight was prepared to defend the title on the spot in Portland, which prompted referee Bryce Remsburg to enter the ring.
In a strategic move, MJF declined to compete tonight, instead dictating the terms of the engagement. He informed the champion and the live audience that the title match would instead take place next week.
THE DEMAND AND JERICHO PROMO
In a backstage interview with Renee Paquette, tensions were still high between The Demand and Chris Jericho, and a six-man tag match was announced for Saturday’s Collision. Ricochet mocked the veteran, labeling him as “the guy that gets his ass beat by The Demand every week,” and confidently predicted a repeat of his Dynasty victory via the Ricosault. Jericho shot back at Ricochet by claiming he had already trademarked the insult for new merchandise and showed the world the new merch. He ended the interview by stating how unpopular the former National Champion was and that his only task was to recruit partners who share a common hatred for the “Bald Prick”. Later on in the night, Jericho’s partners turned out to be the returning Hurt Syndicate.
LIO RUSH VS BRODY KING
The styles and sizes of Brody King and Lio Rush could not be more different, but it looked damn good. The match began with King being bitten by “The Blackheart” Lio Rush. Rush utilized his agility to keep the powerhouse off-balance, even landing a high-risk crossbody off the announce desk after sidestepping an attack on the floor. King’s size and power soon overpowered Rush. Despite Rush landing his signature Shadows Over Hell, King regained control with a thunderous side slam and a corner cannonball senton.
The brutality concluded when King rocked Rush with a Ganso Bomb to earn the pinfall victory. Following the match, King took the microphone to address the main event between Darby Allin and Tommaso Ciampa. While offering a nod of respect to Ciampa, King focused his attention on the new World Champion, Darby Allin. Expressing a mix of pride and desire to compete, King warned Allin that his championship reign would not exempt him from the violence King intends to bring to the title picture.
Winner: Brody King
IS GOLDIE COMING HOME TONIGHT?
Tommaso Ciampa delivered a passionate interview backstage ahead of tonight’s main event. He reframed his world title opportunity as a career-defining moment of validation. Reflecting on a tenure marked by those who doubt his size, charisma, and main-event viability, Ciampa emphasized that his path is driven by a relentless work ethic and by his roles as a husband and father. He dismissed the notion of heroes and villains, describing his clash with Darby Allin as a testament to passion rather than imaginary glass ceilings. He claimed that no one has ever been more prepared for the championship spotlight, challenging Allin to consider whether his desire to keep the AEW World Championship can match Ciampa’s absolute necessity to win it. Is Goldie coming home tonight?
PROMO FROM ADAM COPELAND
Posted up in the confines of a storage room, Adam Copeland laid out an ultimatum to the AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR. In an attempt to secure one final title opportunity, Copeland is ready to put it all on the line. Acknowledging FTR’s recent claims that he and Christian Cage had exhausted their chances, Copeland proposed a New York Street Fight for the championships at Double or Nothing. To sweeten the deal and test the champions’ confidence, he raised the stakes of the fight. Should FTR emerge victorious, Copeland and Cage will officially retire as a tag team. Challenging FTR’s “best of all time” status, Copeland placed the decision squarely on the champions’ shoulders.
MINA SHIRAKAWA VS HIKARU SHIDA
In a contest that balanced technical finesse with brutality, Hikaru Shida and Mina Shirakawa put on a clinic. The match began with a standoff after Shirakawa rejected Shida’s initial offer of a handshake, leading into a fast-paced exchange of arm drags and stereo dropkicks that left both competitors at a stalemate. As momentum shifted, Shida utilized her signature “Jumbo” knee to ground the “Venus” of STARDOM. Shirakawa responded with a targeted attack on Shida’s lower body, executing a dragon screw from the apron and a nasty figure-four leglock that nearly forced a submission.
The physicality peaked when Shida countered a float-over attempt with a Beach Break directly onto the ring apron, followed by a diving Meteora that Shirakawa remarkably survived. In the closing moments, the match took a turn as Shida attempted to introduce a kendo stick into the fight. The referee’s focus was broken when Kris Statlander intercepted the weapon, creating a crucial distraction that allowed Shida to land a knee strike. Capitalizing on the opening, Shida executed the Falcon Arrow to secure the pinfall, ending a high-caliber, hard-hitting match. Great match, ladies!
Winner: Hikaru Shida
WILL OSPREAY VS MARK DAVIS
Mark “Dunkzilla” Davis, YOU HAVE ARRIVED! Will Ospreay and Davis put on a physical performance of a lifetime. The match was brutal with back-and-forth attacks. Ospreay hit a spectacular tope con giro off the stage. However, Davis’s power proved to be the equalizer tonight. After overcoming Ospreay’s Spanish Fly and various strike combinations, Davis caught Ospreay on the apron and executed a devastating piledriver. The impact left Ospreay incapacitated, prompting Dr. Sampson and referee Paul Turner to stop the contest. Ospreay desperately tried to continue, but without success.
Davis continued to attack the injured Ospreay. The situation took a sharp turn when Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley appeared, signaling the arrival of the Death Riders. As the faction surrounded the ring, Davis was forced to abandon his assault and release Ospreay. In a surprising show of alliance or perhaps something more dramatic, Claudio Castagnoli and the rest of the Death Riders escorted the battered Ospreay to the backstage area, leaving the audience to speculate on the future of the faction’s involvement with the “Aerial Assassin.”
Winner: Mark Davis
PERSEPHONE AEW BACK FOR GOOD?
Alex Windsor delivered a backstage interview in which she addressed the crowd and Renee Paquette, targeting Thekla and the Sisters of Sin. She warned that they were fortunate Jamie Hayter was absent. The segment took an unexpected turn when Persephone intervened, offering her services as a tag team partner despite not being an official member of the Brawling Birds. Windsor accepted the alliance and issued an open challenge to the Triangle of Madness to select two representatives for a showdown this Saturday on Collision.
SAMOA JOE BACK IN ACTION
Samoa Joe secured a dominant victory over Cody Chhun in his return match. While Chhun managed a brief moment with a fireman’s carry, Joe quickly overwhelmed him with a relentless barrage of jabs and a crushing elbow strike. After casually sidestepping a desperate diving crossbody attempt, the “Samoan Submission Machine” sealed the win with his signature Muscle Buster. Following the bell, attention shifted to the stage as Joe and Hook shared a significant post-match moment.
Winner: Samoa Joe
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: DARBY ALLIN (C) VS TOMMASO CIAMPA
Newly crowned AEW World Champion Darby Allin’s first moment in front of the AEW audience was interrupted almost immediately by a pissed-off MJF. The former champ demanded an immediate rematch, claiming he was treated unfairly and wronged. Allin rejected the demand, telling MJF he must first put something of value on the line and declaring his intention to be a fighting champion who defends the title every week. This notion was tested immediately as he moved directly into a defense against Tommaso Ciampa.
The championship bout was a PPV/PLE main-event-level fight. Allin hit a beautiful diving crossbody from the ring post through the timekeeper’s table, a move that left Ciampa bleeding from the forehead. The brutality escalated when Ciampa countered with an Air Raid Crash off the top turnbuckle directly to the floor. Despite absorbing multiple Knee Tremblers and the Project Ciampa powerbomb, the champion remained defiant, refusing to stay down as the Portland crowd and those at home watched in disbelief.
Allin survived a collision with an exposed turnbuckle and several more bare-knee strikes before somehow locking in a modified Scorpion Deathlock. Wrenching back with everything he had left in the center of the ring, Allin forced Ciampa to tap out in a show of pure toughness and grit. The two warriors shared a moment of mutual respect post-match, with Ciampa personally handing the belt back to the champion before leaving the ring.
Brody King entered the ring to address the champ. While expressing genuine pride in Allin’s journey, King informed everyone that Tony Khan had made a championship match between the two official for next week. With Allin’s nod of consent, we have our main event for next week’s Dynamite.
Winner: And Still AEW World Championship Darby Allin
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