AEW Dynamite 3/25/2026: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved
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Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "AEW Dynamite," the show where both a world championship and a man's EVP status were on the line, but that somehow was main-evented by Darby Allin vs. Rush with no stakes whatsoever! Yeah, we have some thoughts about that here in the column — we also have thoughts about all three of the aforementioned matches on their own, as well as Will Ospreay challenging Jon Moxley to a match at Dynasty, and more!
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As ever, we can't muster up opinions about everything that happened this week — sorry, Mike Bailey vs. Rocky Romero — but if you missed the show, you can always check out our "Dynamite" results page for a full breakdown of all the happenings. If you want to know what the WINC crew thought of the show, you're already in the right place. Here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 3/25/26 episode of "AEW Dynamite!"
Read more: 15 Gimmicks That Were Dead On Arrival
Hated: Dynamite 'double main events' don't include Strickland vs. Omega
Swerve Strickland makes his way down to the ring for a promo segment on an episode of "AEW Dynamite." - AEW/Lee SouthI absolutely loathe the concept of "double main events" across all of professional wrestling, no matter the company, so I can come right out of the gate and say that I didn't love it here tonight. While I'm of course in the party of wanting the women to be highlighted better in AEW, and while I loved the fact AEW Women's World Champion Thekla was even on the show tonight, that match against Mina Shirakawa didn't exactly have much of a story behind it going into tonight's "Dynamite" to be considered a "main event." Though, the pretty random no count outs match between Rush and Darby Allin that took the main spot of the show didn't either, and it wasn't for a title.
It felt like a big swing and a miss here to put Swerve Strickland and Kenny Omega's match on first. While I didn't think Rush and Allin was a main event, it was a good match, and I do really like Rush's work. These matches could have easily been flip-flopped on the show, with Allin and Rush getting the crowd hyped up to kick things off. I think it would have made Omega and Strickland's match all the more special to be the main event.
I realize why it opened the show, as Omega interrupted AEW World Champion MJF's promo a bit later on. There was a lot of talking on the show tonight, an unusual amount for "Dynamite," however, and while MJF is of course champion, it would have been fine to keep him off TV for another week to sell the impacts of his Texas Death Match at Revolution. I don't think anyone who saw that match, or even just the highlights, would be calling him out for taking two weeks off television after that. MJF could have easily returned next week to confront Omega after his main event win over Strickland.
The post-match angle with the Don Callis Family beating up Allin wasn't enough for me to think it deserved the main event spot. Though, frankly, I was expecting Gabe Kidd to once again waltz out there and start beating up on Allin, so at least it didn't come to that. While the angle where Andrade El Idolo was seen arguing with Callis was interesting, it still could have started the show, and that argument could have been an angle throughout the rest of the episode.
I thought the pacing was a bit off tonight after Omega and Strickland started the show. It wasn't a bad "Dynamite" by any means, but things could have been moved around to give the number one contender's match, and fight for Omega's EVP status, the spotlight it deserved.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Loved: The Best Bout Machine enters Swerve's House
Omega and Strickland on the top rope -Now, I am absolutely biased when it comes to both Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland, seeing as they're probably my top two favorites in all of AEW. For that reason, their match on this edition of "Dynamite" was the thing that I was the most excited to watch. My expectations were also set very high given how talented both men have proven to be and the high standard they set in their first match on the February 18 episode of "Dynamite". With all being said and done, it's safe to say that their match lived up to every expectation I had and more.
This was exactly what you would expect it to be from two talents of a high caliber: fast paced, high flying, lots of false finishes, and intensity on the part of both men. It was also allotted a nice and lengthy amount of time, with things not having to be rushed and given time for both men to show just how good they are between the ropes. The high stakes of the match with Strickland winning Omega's EVP title if he was the victor of the match while Omega got an AEW World Championship shot if he won made things feel all the more important, and added some much needed increased stakes for their rematch.
While it may have been a little predictable to see Omega emerge as the winner after weeks of calling out MJF and the upcoming Dynasty pay-per-view being in his home country of Canada, it was still hands down the thing that I ended up enjoying the most on this show.
Written by Olivia Quinlan
Hated: Is a grudge match really the way to go?
Wheeler Yuta and Jon Moxley on AEW Dynamite - AEW/Lee SouthNow that AEW has got over the Revolution hangover, we are all on the road to the Dynasty pay-per-view on April 12, and the card for that show is beginning to take shape. One of the standout matches already announced is the pay-per-view return to action for Will Ospreay as he goes one-on-one with Jon Moxley in a highly anticipated grudge match. The match will most certainly be a show stealer, but I do have a slight issue with it, it's a non-title match.
On the official graphic for the match (which you can see here), there is no mention of the AEW Continental Championship. One would think that the easiest way to get to Moxley would be challenging him for that title considering he wrestles in Eliminator Matches basically every week, but Ospreay wants revenge for the Death Riders taking him out of action, meaning he just wants Moxley. If he wants Moxley, you may as well take the title as well, it's the most seen belt on TV at this point so you may as well.
But I get it, AEW has big plans for Ospreay regarding All In London and having him be the AEW Continental Champion would probably complicate things. However, not having the belt on the line kind of nullifies the entire feud between Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita. If you weren't going to have the belt on the line for Ospreay, then why switch the title at Revolution? This new feud clearly doesn't need titles so the idea of Moxley beating Takeshita at Revolution looks more backwards than ever at this point. Plus, the babyface turn for Takeshita would have at least made some movements if Takeshita had the belt considering he's likely having a rematch with Kazuchika Okada.
Speaking of babyfaces, Moxley worked hard through the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 to get people to cheer him again. Now, he's in there with the newly returned fan favorite in Ospreay, and it just feels like there has been a lot of hard work flushed down the toilet for the sake of getting Ospreay in a big pay-per-view match. Again, he's likely winning "The Owen" and he needs to wrap up the Death Riders stuff first, but a lot has had to be unwound for this feud to take place.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for this match, especially with this version of Moxley taking on an Ospreay who has already admitted he has to change his own style. It will be a different match to what some people expect, but it's clear now that the road to get here has resulted in other roads being dug up for no reason.
Written by Sam Palmer
Loved: Thekla gets second title defense on Dynamite
Thekla poses on the stage before she makes her way to the ring, AEW Women's World Championship around her waist, at AEW Revolution. - AEW/Lee SouthI found Thekla's AEW Women's World Championship defense against Thunder Rosa back on the March 4 edition of "Dynamite" so inconsequential I guess I keep forgetting about it, because it's felt like forever to me since she's been on the show since defeating Kris Statlander in a strap match on February 11. Tonight, Thekla made an appearance to defend her gold in a match against Mina Shirakawa, her first time defending the gold since retaining it over Statlander at Revolution.
While the match against Shirakawa was by no means consequential, at least Shirakawa is more consistently on AEW programming than Rosa, so it felt ever-so slightly bigger to me. Likely because she was the tag team partner to "Timeless" Toni Storm, prior to Storm getting taken out and written off television last week. While I wish commentary would tell me what happened on "AEW Collision," if anything, that led to this match, at least Shirakawa beat Marina Shafir last week, and if that's all she's done to earn a title shot, I guess that's enough for me right now.
Commentary continued to mention Shirakawa's "new side" since Storm's attack, and I can't say I really saw a lot of that here, but I'm sure it'll come once the storm is completely fleshed out following the shock of Storm being off TV through 2026. I can't imagine how much that might have thrown off creative plans. Either way, I liked this match pitting her against Thekla, and I think their styles work really well together.
I think Thekla is just so much fun to watch. She hits hard, and even her selling ability is amazing. When she hit the spear to Shirakawa after taking a spinning back fist, she sold it like crazy, falling right over after she hit her own move. The distraction with taking off her belt just to remove a pair of brass knuckles from her top was a nice touch, too. I don't think Thekla plays dirty because she has to, but simply because she wants to, and that's the kind of unhinged that fits right in, in AEW. So, after weeks of being upset AEW wasn't using her well on "Dynamite," I was at least happy to see this match tonight.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Hated: He literally said nothing
MJF on "AEW Dynamite" - AEW/Lee SouthThe March 25 episode of "AEW Dynamite" saw the first televised appearance of MJF since he defeated Hangman Page at AEW Revolution in a brutal Texas Death Match. He cut a great promo via a pre-tape last week, and now that he's got his match set in stone for AEW Dynasty on April 12 against Kenny Omega, you would think he'd have some things to say wouldn't you?
What did MJF say exactly? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Well, he did technically say some things, but there was literally nothing of substance whatsoever. MJF comes out, mocks the people of Minnesota for having an accent that isn't his, reminds people that he beat Page, says the word "ever" so many times it stops sounding like a real word, and proceeds to do both of his catchphrases. That's it, that's the whole promo. I understand Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a heel and he's meant to love himself and cheap heat, but you've got a title match in three weeks and you're not even trying to sell the match.
In fact, it's not until Kenny Omega, a man who looked absolutely exhausted given that he wrestled in the opening match, came out that we got an actual promo. He claimed that when Swerve Strickland beat him, he learned something from it and applied it to the match he had earlier that night where he was able to get his win back, implying that Omega has learned a lot since MJF beat a pre-diverticulitis version of "The Cleaner," and that a rematch will be very different from their first bout.
Right there, Omega sells the match, making you ask yourself "Is he better than he was in 2023? If so, what could possibly happen at Dynasty? Who would be next in line? Who is going to Wembley?" You already want to see this match, not because of MJF loving himself, but because Omega is ready to go to war for the AEW World Championship, and the champion showed little to no real care whatsoever.
There will be a contract signing next week in Omega's hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and I have a suspicion that segment will end up being much better for MJF than this one was. Sure, he'll poke fun at the Canadian fans, probably make a hockey reference, but he'll get the chance to converse with Omega and cut an actual promo, rather than just pressing buttons on an MJF soundboard and calling that a promo. For a man known to be an absolute maestro on the microphone, this was a big let down on a night full of less than average promos. At least the match at Dynasty will be good.
Written by Sam Palmer
Loved: Rush gets the spotlight
Rush during "AEW Dynamite" - AEW/TrillerTVThis week's main event was rather questionably the singles, no-countout clash between Rush and Darby Allin with the prestigious absolutely nothing on the line. Look, the match was always going to be as fun as Allin throwing himself into the next death-defying-until-it-isn't stunt. Especially when Rush just so happens to be a sadistic machine with no concerns about being the one to throw Allin into said death-defying-until-it-isn't-stunt.
It probably shouldn't have been the main event over Kenny Omega versus Swerve Strickland and an AEW Women's World Championship defense from Thekla. But it was not the match's fault for where it was. And the match was pretty good. Rush threw Allin around which is always pleasing to the eye in a really morbid sense that we probably won't be unpacking right here. Rush was very popular with the Minnesota crowd and their rather based feelings towards ICE, and also took some time to hydrate and moisturize (super important) before posing for the crowd. That too was pleasing to the eye in a way we will not be unpacking here.
But all light-hearted talk aside, it was just a really good match placed in the most wrong of wrong places. There was nothing about it that screamed, "This should be the main event," and as said it had no stakes at all. But Rush took the opportunity by the (rather aptly) horns and came off looking like a star.
Obviously Allin won because Tony Khan has a mission to make him a main eventer, and then he was wiped out by the Don Callis Family because they were paid off by MJF to ensure Allin doesn't go near the World title. So, maybe, thank you to the Don Callis Family. In any case, it was cool to see Rush given a moment to shine and it was just a very fun watching experience to close what, in my opinion, felt like a very solid show.
Written by Max Everett
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