AEW Dynamite - 3/4/2026: 3 Things We Loved And 3 We Hated
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We are one week closer to AEW Revolution, and this week's edition of "Dynamite" brought the action to El Paso, TX. The crowd was promised two title matches, and received three. As always with "Dynamite," there was plenty to love, and plenty to hate.
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As per usual, the Wrestling Inc. Staff will try to avoid the "what happened" of it all, since that has been dutifully taken care of on the results page. Instead, we will reach deep in our feelings and pull out those shiny, little nuggets of discourse that are born from the guts of every wrestling writer. There was plenty to love, like the show-closing impromptu Trios Title match, and there was plenty to hate, such as whatever the hell this company is doing with teams like The Brawling Birds or The IInspiration.
But enough bloviating from me, let's let the Wrestling Inc. Staff tell you what worked and what didn't in their own words.
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Loved: It's Time To Once Again Praise Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley makes a fist - AEW/Lee SouthNo matter the quality of an AEW show these days, it seems that Jon Moxley is still plugging away, sometimes having the best match on the card for the love of the game.
Moxley wrestled yet another of his AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Matches, despite already having a challenger for Revolution, and it was just an excuse for him to have a good match with Hechicero. Moxley's consistency has become something of a meme, but on an uneven night like tonight, it can be manna from heaven.
Where MJF's show-opening title defense felt a little predictable, Moxley has wrestled so many of these Eliminator Matches, that he's bound to slip up eventually, and the fact that the Continental Title doesn't have to be a show-carrying main-event title, means that that Hechicero had as much chance of earning a title shot as anyone on the roster. Lance Archer might even be able to win that title.
The Continental Title Eliminator Match just had a certain electricity to it that much of the show lacked. I think I could honestly watch Moxley wrestle these kinds of matches until he's old and beat up, waddling to the ring and torturing the younger wrestlers like Minoru Suzuki or Yoshiaki Fujiwara.
Written by Ross Berman
Hated: Suspension of Disbelief Too Much for MJF vs. Knight ahead of Revolution
AEW World Champion MJF looks on lazily from the corner during a promo segment on "AEW Dynamite." - AEW/Lee SouthI guess the opening match pitting AEW World Champion MJF against (now former) AEW World Trios Champion Kevin Knight was a more interesting way to sort of help set up the main event match for the trios title later in the night, but I am just not a fan of booking a world title match (or any kind of title match) on an episode of television right ahead of a pay-per-view where a match for said belt has already been set in stone.
I can only suspend my disbelief so much, and while Knight had an impressive showing against MJF, and he's certainly a fan favorite, I just couldn't get into any kind of mindset that he was going to win here, which would have made this match pretty skippable for me if I didn't like Knight's work.
We know that MJF is headed right for his Texas Death Match against "Hangman" Adam Page in just eleven days' time at Revolution. There was absolutely no way that story and match were going to be sacrificed for a shock Knight victory, unless something seriously wrong happened in that match. For AEW, a company that loves to do its "eliminator" matches, I'm surprised that wasn't just what this match was tonight. Knight could have somehow won that match with Page or "Speedball" Mike Bailey's involvement, and just gotten this match in the future when it actually meant something a bit more substantial.
Knight also said he wanted a shot at Page when "Hangman" wins the title at Revolution; however, this match even happening at all was a bit confusing to me, since he didn't say he wanted to go after MJF in the first place.
We also got a pretty lame match tonight involving Page and a local guy, I'm assuming, that didn't last long at all before Page's opponent ate a Buckshot Lariat into the pin, which I also didn't love, but at least there was nothing hanging on that one, and it did lead to the Trios Championship main event tonight when Kyle Fletcher, Kazuchika Okada, and Mark Davis attacked Page.
I guess it's been a few months since AEW's last pay-per-view, and I tend to forget that, outside of more matches being set up for the big show, the episodes of TV going into it aren't my favorites. The lead-up to Revolution is proving that once again, but at least I know that AEW shows up and shows out when it's time for the actual pay-per-view.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Loved: The Savage King Is All Elite
David Finlay in New Japan Pro Wrestling - Etsuo Hara/Getty ImagesThere has already been so much movement between wrestling companies in 2026. WWE has seen AJ Styles retire while also gaining both Royce "Powerhouse Hobbs" Keys and Danhausen. Hiroshi Tanahashi has also retired, while the core members of Los Ingobrenables de Japon have all moved on to new chapters in their careers, and Tony Khan has signed basically everyone who has become available to an AEW contract. However, the March 4 episode of "AEW Dynamite" saw the arrival of someone who has the potential to be a real game-changer in All Elite Wrestling.
Over the past few years, David Finlay has evolved. That one son of Fit Finlay who decided to try his hand at Japanese wrestling has become one of the most well-respected foreign-born talents of the last few years. He breathed new life into Bullet Club when it was at death's door by forming The War Dogs, and left New Japan Pro Wrestling earlier this year as a fully formed character ready for the biggest stages. There was obviously WWE interest given that his dad and brother work there, but if there's one thing we all know about dogs, they are loyal, and Finlay decided to join Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors in AEW.
The reaction in the building wasn't exactly an ear-shattering pop, mainly because seeing NJPW talent in AEW in 2026 is as common as rain is to an English person's afternoon. However, Finlay's decision to join AEW over WWE is a huge statement, and given Finlay's success in Japan, it's an arrival that has the potential to go places very quickly. By the looks of things, Finlay is already going to be mixing it up with the likes of Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin, two men who have become some of the most trusted hands in AEW when it comes to making people look their best, but AEW hasn't been afraid to take some risks with its booking in 2026.
Brody King has beaten MJF in less than two minutes, Andrade El Idolo has beaten Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland, Tommaso Ciampa won the AEW TNT Champion in his first match, the twists and turns have been frequent this year, and it feels like Finlay is arriving at just the right time. The main event scene looks to have stories mapped out for the rest of 2026, but the AEW roster is so deep that Finlay can establish himself as a force to be reckoned with throughout the year, and with his dogs in Kidd and Connors by his side, the "Savage King" could be ruling the AEW yard at some point in the future. Watch this space with Finlay, he's a dog for real.
Written by Sam Palmer
Hated: The IInspiration Have A Very UnIInspired Match
The IInspiration as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions - Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty ImagesIt would've been one thing to have The IInspiration lose to The Brawling Birds in a contest that was given a decent amount of time. While it wouldn't be my first choice to begin with, given that this was Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay's first introduction to fans on "Dynamite", it would've at least provided them with the opportunity to show what they can do in the ring. It's an entirely different thing to have The IInsipration come up short to Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor in a matter of seconds in what marked their first ever showing on "Dynamite".
Taking such a quick loss in this match made Lee and McKay look absolutely terrible, and gave fans no reason at all to get invested in them as a tag team when it's in fact the exact opposite thing that should be happening. The IInspiration are pretty well-known names in women's wrestling, so to me, it doesn't make any sense not to treat them in exactly that manner as they continue to get established amongst AEW fans who might not be familiar with them. It marked the lowest point for me on an episode of "Dynamite" I would classify as mediocre at best, and just made both Lee and McKay look pretty bad in their first major AEW match.
Written by Olivia Quinlan
Loved: Trios Title change in the main event
Kevin Knight makes his entrance flanked by Mike Bailey - AEW/Lee SouthKevin Knight had a night to forget this week, starting the show with a loss against World Champion MJF, and later failing to earn his redemption by taking the pin, ensuring he, Mike Bailey, and "Hangman" Adam Page lost their Trios titles to the Don Callis Family's Kyle Fletcher, Kazuchika Okada, and Mark Davis.
The main event was set after Page and Knight had already wrestled, with Knight losing his World title match and Page winning a squash match before calling out the World Champion. MJF and Page had a little interaction, but the segment was closed with the DCF attacking the Trios Champions and Callis calling for the title match, given that all three are already pursuing singles gold, two titles held by Okada and Fletcher specifically.
It was textbook 'Babyface(s) takes on way too much trying to play the hero' with Knight clearly beaten after his match, and ultimately falling victim to the numbers game of the DCF. And while it solves an issue of AEW's own making, getting the Trios titles off of those chasing other titles, it also cemented the DCF as a unit and perpetuated the ongoing storyline between Okada and Takeshita.
Obviously, the match itself was fun, but the result alone guaranteed a bit more room to tell the stories of each character. Page is now a pure challenger going into Revolution, unaffected by the responsibilities that one should have as Trios Champion.
Knight will have to deal with back-to-back losses in one night, potentially laying the groundwork for JetSpeed to run their own split storyline with both chasing titles. After all, Swerve Strickland was effusive in his praise for Knight just weeks ago, and could easily find himself leading a heel group including Knight. That also frees up Bailey to not only pursue singles gold but potentially feud with Knight. And crucially, it adds a sense of jeopardy to the babyfaces ahead of all that.
The title loss can be a catalyst for each character to grow out of the "Jet Set Rodeo" tagline. Is it an issue that the titles are now on people who are singles champions already? A little. But given that "Jet Set Rodeo" were only Trios Champions to pave the way for Powerhouse Hobbs to leave, it fixes a pre-existing issue that stood to over-expose the man who may well be World Champion by the end of the month, as well as holding up the two immensely talented workers in Bailey and Knight.
And who doesn't love a title change on free TV? When it works in the ring and going forward the way it does, this writer can find nothing else but a 'Loved' for it.
Written by Max Everett
Hated: A So-Called Big Revolution Match Gets Very Little Television Time
Andrade El Idolo poses for a selfie - AEW/Lee South"What a big match that was signed this past Saturday on "Collision" for Revolution. Andrade El Idolo, Bandido, one-on-one [a] week from Sunday," Excalibur said, from behind the commentary desk. It may be a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with, and yet, the two men were given very little television time, and attention was given to their Revolution match tonight in a brief and underwhelming backstage verbal confrontation with one another.
When you consider that this episode of "Dynamite" had almost 20 minutes of overrun and two random squash matches for the sake of giving The Brawling Birds and "Hangman" Adam Page wins, there was definitely plenty of room on this show to do something a little more to generate hype for the Revolution match between El Idolo and Bandido. In my opinion, both men have earned themselves reputations of being two of the best luchadors in the world right now, and it's not really hard to see that they're bound to have a good match on the March 15 pay-per-view. AEW could've very easily moved their verbal exchange to inside the ring instead of making it a backstage thing, where it would've at least felt like it was a bigger deal, even if they both weren't still given a lot of television time.
Written by Olivia Quinlan
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