AEW WrestleDream 2025

Show drew about 6,200, but to their credit, it looked a lot bigger than that.

The show started with Jet Speed vs. FTR mid-match.

***1/2

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So this was a pre-show match but they had it bleed into the PPV to try to convince anyone on the fence to buy the PPV.  It’s a good idea in theory, but I’m skeptical that anyone who wasn’t going to buy the show had their mind changed by this.  It was also somewhat annoying for main show viewers because I turned on the show at 8 PM ET and a match was halfway over.  In the end, I wouldn’t have watched it anyway if it ended on time, so it was fine.  The 8 minutes we saw on the main show were great, ending with the Bobby Heenan/Rick Rude/Ultimate Warrior finish of Stokely grabbed Speedball’s foot, Dax fell on top, and Stokely held the foot down for the pin.

Tony introduced Charlie Thesz.

Man, she seemed totally on top of her game for however old she was, and given she was Lou Thesz’s wife, and he died at 86 nine years ago, she’s doing great.

Thekla vs. Jamie Hayter.  

**1/2

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They announced before this match that Tony Khan had banned everyone from ringside.  Crowd was great at this point in the show, they were going wild for the opener and the heat for this match was good as well.  They said Thekla was banned from Stardom for attacking the president, and that such a thing was unprecedented.  Well, except for every other time that’s happened in history, including WWE with Vince McMahon (both shoot and work), AEW with Tony Khan and the Bucks, WCW with Eric Bischoff, and on and on and on.  They brawled around ringside and Jamie chopped the shit out of her in front of Charlie Thesz, and Charlie was howling with laughter.  Thekla then went up top and wiped out Jamie with an awesome high cross for the heat.  She worked her over for a long time.  Tony made her big comeback and they fought up top.  Jamie headbutted her way free and tried a dropkick, but missed.  Jamie hit an enzuigiri and an ushi-garoshi for two.  They had the striking battle and Theka tried an octopus hold.  Jamie fought her way free and hit a big backbreaker.  Thekla put her in an octopus on the mat but Jamie got the ropes.  Thekla yelled at the ref and then walked into a backbreaker.  They went back and forth with nearfalls.  Thekla did a very dramatic bridge and spider walk, but then stood up and ran right into a lariat.  Jamie then hit the Hayteraid for the pin.  Very good match but the finish kinda made Thekla look like a geek.

Queen Aminata celebrated with Jamie afterwards, then the Triangle of Madness looked on from the stage.  One of these days we might actually had that Blood and Guts match.

Young Bucks vs. Jurassic Express with $500,000 going to the winner.

***1/2

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Bucks’ entrance video was a list of all of their financial failures.  They’re broke.  Fans were out there with signs offering $20 for pics, and Nick was jumping at the opportunity.  LOL.  Loud chants for “LUCHASAURUS!” early.  Babyfaces ran wild early.  Jack Perry then went to switch the tag rope to the other side, which allowed Luchasaurus to bite Matt Jackson.  So it’s the same babyface team, but the idea is they have an edge.  Luchasaurus hit a moonsault off the apron onto both guys, which got a big pop.  The Bucks finally gained control, Matt gave Luchasaurus the sliced bread outside, then they cut off Jungle Boy in the ring.  They did a good job preventing the hot tag.  Fans sang, “OH, YOU HAVE NO MONEY!”  Bucks tried the double stomp into the sitout powerbomb spot, which is awesome, but Jack countered the powerbomb into a huracanrana and made the hot tag.  That spot ruled.  Luchasaurus ran wild and chokeslammed Nick onto Matt.  He then hiptossed Jack into a huracanrana on Matt off the apron to the floor.  Jack hit a cutter on Nick, but Nick kicked out.  Bucks cut off Jack again and hit the double stomp into the powerbomb, but Jack kicked out.  Jack and Nick did the chicken fight spot outside which got one of the biggest pops of the match.  We had a multi-person brawl on the apron, ending with Nick giving Jack a destroyer.  “THIS IS AWESOME!”  Bucks tried the TK driver but it was countered, then Jack tried another huracanrana off the apron, but Nick powerbombed him.  They hit the double stomp spike piledriver, but Jack kicked out.  Bucks went for the BTE Trigger, but Jack avoided it.  They hit it on the second try but Luchasaurus broke it up.  Babyfaces made another comeback, Luchasaurus hit a standing moonsault, Jack hit a destroyer, then they hit Matt with the doomsday device, but Matt kicked out.  “FIGHT FOREVER!”  Jack and Luchasaurus hit the indietaker, but it got broken up.  Bucks hit the superkick on Luchasuaurs, the double superkick on Jack, the BTE trigger, but he kicked out.  They tried the TK Driver but Luchasaurus broke it up, Nick got sent outside, then they hit Matt with their finish for the pin and $500,000. So the Bucks are still broke.  Match might have went a little long.

They said this was the first time Jurassic Express had ever beaten the Bucks in their career. 

After the match, Jack Perry offered to help the Bucks up.  Bucks got up on their own, and Jack offered them some cash.  The Don Callis Family then hit the ring and jumped Jurassic Express.  Bucks saw what was happening and started walking to the back.  

Kenny Omega’s music then hit.  He met the Bucks on the ramp and told them to go help out.  They paused, but then shook their heads and kept walking.  So Kenny hit the ring and got beaten down, but then Jack and Luchasaurus made a comeback and helped him clear the ring.  

Two matches in one hour on a nine-match main show sounds like we’ve got to either have some shorter matches, or this show is going until 1 or 2 AM ET.

Hurt Syndicate vs. GOA in a Tornado match for the number-one contendership.

***

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Missouri is a commission state so they have very strict rules about what you can and cannot do, and one of the rules is no fighting in the crowd, so they had to do a tornado match basically all in the ring or right around ringside.  GOA got the heat early and put Lashley on a table, then slammed Shelton off the steps through Lashley and the table.  So Lashley was out of the match for awhile and the heels beat down MVP and Shelton two-on-one.  Lashley finally made his comeback and ran roughshod on everyone.  He was doing a delayed superplex on Ricochet, but GOA came underneath and powerbombed him — killing their own guy worse while they were at it.  Shelton got hold of Ricochet and gave him a German suplex onto the entire pile outside, then hit the big flip dive onto the pile.  This dude is incredible.  MVP made a big comeback on Ricochet in the ring and did the ballin’ elbow.  What a pop that got.  He hit a fisherman suplex but Toa Leona broke it up.  Bobby speared Toa, then Ricochet ended up alone in the ring.  “WE HURT PEOPLE!” chants.  Kaun yanked Ricochet outside, then got into the ring to take on all three guys alone.  Bad idea.  They all killed him, then Lashley speared him and Shelton got the pin.  Pretty sure this was by far the best match these teams have had together. 

So it’s Opps vs. Hurt Syndicate for the Trios Titles.  

Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe for the TNT Title.

***

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Don Callis did commentary.  Loud “DEM BOYS!” and “FUCK DON CALLIS!” chants.  They wrestled around early.  They went back and forth early.  Mark sent him outside and hit a big pescado.  They fought around ringside and Mark suplexed him on the mats, then hit the elbow off the apron to the floor.  Briscoe set up the chair in the ring and went for the cannonball, but Fletcher removed the chair, which got tons of heat.  Mark sat him in the chair and wiped him out with a cannonball.  He finally tried the blockbuster off the apron, but Kyle moved and Mark splatted on the floor.  Kyle worked him over.  Briscoe finally fired up and they hit a double big boot and a double lariat to set up Mark’s comeback.  He hit the big fisherman buster for two.  He went for the Jay driller but Kyle countered into a half-and-half suplex.  He hit a leg lariat and a last ride powerbomb for two.  Kyle was bleeding from the mouth.  Mark was messing with his pants.  Turns out the belt broke on the powerbomb and his pants were falling down the rest of the match.  Kyle took him up top and went for the top rope brainbuster.  Mark countered it, but Fletcher was able to hit a superplex in the end.  They fought on the apron and Mark gave him a Jay driller, then they both collapsed outside.  They ended up back in the ring fighting up top, then Mark draped him across the top rope and hit a froggy elbow, then hit a second one off the post to the floor.  He hit the third one in the ring but Kyle kicked out.  They traded cradles in the ring, then Mark finally hit the Jay driller.  He covered, but Kyle put one finger on the ropes to break it up.  “THIS IS AWESOME!”  Mark went for the cutthroat driver, but Kyle grabbed the ref to escape, hit a low blow behind the ref’s back, and hit the brainbuster.  Mark kicked out to a massive pop.  Kyle hit the running knee but Mark kicked out.  Kyle then hit the lawn dart, the kick in the corner, and the top rope brainbuster for the pin.  This match was great.  The only downside was most of the match only had good, not great heat, because I don’t think anyone believed until the last maybe two minutes or so that Mark could actually win.  And then he lost. 

Toni Storm vs. Kris Statlander for the Women’s Title.

***1/4

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There was a horribly hideous background screech during this match that also apparently happened during the pre-show.  Thankfully they found a way to get rid of it.  All mat wrestling early since this was a babyface match.  They fought outside and Statlander gave her a monkey flip into the apron, then the moonsault off the apron to the floor.  Stat walked her up the stairs on her shoulders and dumped her into the ring, which was impressive.  She worked over Toni’s midsection.  Statlander hit a Vader bomb for two.  Crowd wasn’t dead, they’d pop for things here and there, but they were quiet.  She hit a twisting Vader bomb for two.  She finally missed a knee and Toni hit a tornado DDT and a tiger driver for two.  Statlander hit a counter into a wacky lucha submission, but Toni got the ropes.  Toni put on the chicken wing but Statlander escaped.  They went back and forth with nearfalls.  They got a polite reaction but fans weren’t going nuts for the nearfalls.  Statlander avoided the storm zero, went up top and hit the 450 for two.  Toni hit a German and storm zero but Statlander kicked out.  Statlander hit the seatbelt but Toni kicked out.  Statlander hit Saturday night fever and put her wacky lucha submission back on.  Some chants for “TONI!”  Toni fought for a long time, then I think she screamed at her to murder her, so Statlander hit Saturday Night Fever and won.  Technically, they executed all the moves fine, but it just felt like move, kickout, move, kickout, and the fans weren’t really into anything any more than anything else, including kicking out of finishers at the end.  It was very good but never got to the next level. 

Toni and Stat hugged afterwards.

After the match, out came Mercedes.  She told Statlander to get the hell out of her ring.  STATLANDER THEN GOT THE HELL OUT OF HER RING.  LOL, what a geek.  

Mercedes did her usual promo.  She challenged any champion in the back to put their title on the line against hers.  Slim pickings.

Mercedes Mone vs. Mina Shirakawa in a title vs. title match.

***

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Mina is the ROH Interim Women’s Television Champion.  A very prestigious title.  As this match started, I queried my X Subscribers as to which was the more prestigious title, the ROH Interim Women’s TV Title, or the ICW/ICWA Texarkana Television Title.  In the end, the result was, believe it or not — 50/50 TIE!!!  I’ll take it.  Mina ran wild early and tried a figure four immediately.  Mercedes escaped and put her in the Banks statement, but Mina escaped that as well.  Mercedes got some heat.  She hit a lung blower and double knees in the corner for two.  Crowd was kind of dead, they were tired but also figured there was zero chance Mina was winning.  Mercedes hit the three amigos and tried the frog splash, but Mina got the knees up and hit a suplex.  They had the striking battle.  Mina gave her a dragon screw in the ropes and a tornillo for two, then a middle rope sling blade.  Mercedes cut her off and tried her goofy finish, but Mina escaped and hit the glamorous driver for two.  Crowd wasn’t buying these nearfalls either.  She put on the figure four again.  They fought on the apron and Mercedes hit a lungblower and a meteora.  Back in the ring, Mina countered into a figure four, but the Mercedes just kinda sat up to get out.  Maybe she raked her eyes or something, but it wasn’t clear.  They teased a ref bump twice, then Mercedes poked her eyes and rolled her up for two.  She went right into the Banks statement.  Crowd wasn’t even into this.  Mina cradled her for two, tried another figure four, but Mercedes cradled her for two.  Mercedes finally hit her goofy finish but Mina got her hand on the ropes.  That was the first nearfall that the fans really got into.  Mina rammed Mercedes into the buckle over and over, then charged, and Mercedes avoided it and pinned her with a backslide using the ropes.  This went a lot longer than it needed to and the fans didn’t care until the final two minutes, plus it was basically the same heel finish as the Briscoe match.

So now Mercedes has 11 belts, and I believe she’s challenging for another indy belt tomorrow.  So they’re just blowing past the record like it’s nothing.  Instead of feeling more meaningful, this actually made it feel less meaningful.  

Statlander then returned and laid out Mercedes, and posed with the TBS Title.

Brodido vs. Okada & Takeshita for the AEW Tag Titles.  

***

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They went back and forth for awhile, then got the heat on Brody.  Crowd was quiet.  Bandido got a hot tag and ran wild, hitting a big moonsault to the outside on everyone.  It broke down into a four-way brawl outside.  Brodido sat both heels in chairs, then they both did running crossbody splashes on them.  Brody’s actually broke the barricade.  They double-teamed Takeshita in the ring.  Okada finally returned, they got rid of Brody and now the heels got the heat on Bandido.  “FUCK DON CALLIS!” chants.  Okada hit the falling elbow.  He did the rainmaker middle finger, but Takeshita stole his thunder with the senton.  So Okada kept the middle finger up and had a staredown with Takeshita.  “EVERYTHING’S FINE!” said Don.  Bandido finally ran between Okada’s legs and made the tag to Brody.  He destroyed both heels.  Bandido and Takeshita then tagged in and Bandido actually stole Skye Blue’s code blue for a nearfall.  They had a striking battle and both went down.  Bandido tried his finish but Takeshita countered into the wheelbarrow suplex.  Bandido landed on his feet but Okada dropkicked him, then everyone hit the ring to hit a big move on everyone else.  Bandido and Takeshita traded reverse huracanranas in a great spot.  Takeshita hit a blue thunder bomb om Brody, then Bandido hit the shooting star on Takeshita for two.  Heels cut off Bandido and Takeshita went for the running knee, but Okada stole the tag and immediately got laid out by Bandido, so Takeshita was pissed.  Brody got another tag and ran wild.  Bandido got sent outside onto Takeshita and I think they had some spot that got messed up.  Bandido and Brody double-teamed Okada.  They hit the big kick into the Asbury Park driver, but Takeshita broke it up.  Takeshita hit the crunchy piledriver and the wheelbarrow German on Brody, which was crazy, but Brody jumped up and gave him a lariat.  We got a QUADRUPLE German suplex and somehow nobody died to my knowledge.  Crowd was going nuts for that.  Bandido ended up alone in the ring with both guys and in the middle of a spot Okada accidentally killed Takeshita with a lariat.  Okada’s response was to laugh his ass off.  Calls was aghast.  Bandido then KILLED Okada with a knee and went for the 21 plex.  But his shoulder gave out.  Brody then killed Okada with a piledriver and screamed at Bandido to never stop fighting.  So Bandido did a one-arm 21-plex on Okada for the pin.  This match also went too long this late in the show, but the Okada/Takeshita storytelling was great and the last few minutes were awesome. 

Bandido celebrated with his son afterwards.

Toni and Mina were backstage all sad that they lost everything.

Mina said no, we have each other.  Sounds like they’re gonna win the Women’s Tag Titles if such a thing ever actually happens.

Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW Title.

***3/4

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Hangman worked him over early and focused on his elbow.  Joe finally ran him over with an elbow and got some heat.  Joe beat him around ringside, sat him in a chair, and did a running boot.  Hangman made a quick comeback, hit a pescado, then went for the moonsault off the post, but Joe walked away and slid into the ring.  Thank God, Hangman needs to retire the moonsault off the post because his knee is going someday.  And no sooner do I type that then he tried the moonsault off the post and Joe walked away.  Hangman managed to roll through and then hit a shotgun dropkick outside.  Joe hit the STO out of the corner and got heat again.  Hangman was bleeding from the mouth and Joe started working it over.  DON’T LET THE COMMISSION SEE THAT BLOOD!  Joe put him in a chinlock at 11:37 PM ET.  Hangman finally fired up and they had the big striking battle.  Joe went for a German and Hangman tried to flip over, but he didn’t make it over and landed RIGHT on his fucking head.  He kept working, and hopefully he’s OK, because the very next spot was him going for a moonsault in the ring, and he missed Joe by miles, but it was supposed to be a hit, so Joe sold it anyway, and Hangman covered for a nearfall.  Crowd was very polite.  Joe hit a powerbomb into the STF.  Fans didn’t buy that as a finish at all.  Hangman got the ropes.  They fought up top and Hangman hit the sunset flip powerbomb for two.  They got into another striking battle and Joe went for the choke, but Hangman reversed into a cradle.  Hangman tried the buckshot but Joe countered into the choke again.  Page sold it like he was going out, but then he fired up and got the ropes.  Hangman hit a deadeye but Joe kicked out at 3.2.  Ref called it a 2.  Hangman then hit a buckshot but Joe didn’t go down, then another and Joe didn’t go down, then a third and Joe went down for the pin.  Really good match, went just the right length, and the finish was fucking great. 

Opps hit the ring to console Joe, the fans chanted Joe’s name, and so he raised his arms in victory, shook Hangman’s hand, raised his arm in victory — THEN CLOTHESLINED HIM TO DEATH.  All the Opps jumped on him, a full heel turn, stomped him down, and Joe clobbered him with the belt.  Looks like this feud is not over.  Opps then put Hangman on the top rope and Joe killed him with a muscle buster onto the belt.  This was a good simple heel turn angle, and Joe is awesome.  

Mercedes promo backstage.

She said Statlander wanted to ruin her historic night, so she was going to ruin her.  I’ve beaten you twice, she said, now I’m going to come after what you love, your Women’s Title.  So they already have a match for Full Gear.

They announced that they’ll be revealing the Women’s Tag Title brackets on Wednesday.

Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley I Quit match

***1/4

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Darby opened the match laying the AEW flag out in the middle of the ring. Fans chanted, “AEW!”  John just walked over it, so Darby dropkicked him and then hit the big tope con hilo.  Marina immediately ran down to grab his leg, allowing Moxley to dropkick him.  Mox grabbed a chain and punched Darby in the teeth, and Darby was bleeding from the mouth.  Commission wasn’t allowing blood or crowd brawling so I’m pretty sure this was a blood capsule.  Mox then snapped his ear on the ropes and Darby spit blood in his hand and rubbed it all over his ear.  Moxley got skewers and started jamming them allegedly under Darby’s fingernails.  Moxley went to work on the fingers.  Darby did a dive roll over the steps and then hit a dropkick off the steps.  They had the striking battle in the ring.  They were pummeling the hell out of each other.  Darby wrapped the flag around his neck and hung him out to dry.  Mox escaped with a thumb to the eyeball, but then Darby gouged his eyes.  Darby then tried the coffin drop but Marina yanked Moxley out of the way and Darby crashed and burned on the apron.  Moxley took his belt off and whipped the hell out of him, then gave him a big piledriver.  One big problem with this match is that unlike in WWE, they didn’t give the referee a mic, so you couldn’t hear if the guys quit or not unless they screamed REALLY REALLY LOUD.  Darby then grabbed the ropes and dared Mox to whip him.  So Mox whipped the hell out of him.  Darby fired up and jumped on his back with a choke.  He fired up and tried a coffin drop but Mox caught him and German’d him.  Darby crawled towards his backpack and started pouring lighter fluid all over Moxley.  Yuta and Garcia hit ringside, but Darby sprayed them in the eyes, and this allowed Moxley the chance to hit a cutter and then wipe all of the lighter fluid off of him.  Moxley then went to the bag and found a taser.  A shoot tazer.  Darby blocked it, but Marina hit the ring, gave him a low blow, and then Moxley tazed him and hit a curb stomp.  He gave him a death rider through a chair and Darby was dead.  Death Riders started setting up a table outside.  Moxley put Darby in the bulldog choke.  Darby refused to quit and threw the double middle fingers.  There were two tables set up outside.  Claudio pressed Darby and acted like he was going to slam him over the top and through the table, but instead he went running and tossed him through the announce table.  That was insane.  Moxley then gave him the death rider through the two tables.  “THIS IS MURDER!” chants.  Darby wouldn’t quit, and Moxley lost his mind, screaming at him to quit, saying he was going to get himself killed, nobody cared about him, the fans didn’t care about him, only Moxley cared about him.  Death Riders then put an aquarium in the ring and started filling it with water.  Please tell me they brought piranhas.  No, Moxley went to drown him.  The more Darby refused to quit the more angry Moxley got.  Moxley kept attempting to drown him over and over.  Suddenly the lights went out.  When they came back on, OLD MAN STING was in the ring.  Place was going haywire for this guy.  It was crazy loud.  He started choking out Moxley, then waffled the other Death Riders, then smashed the aquarium.  He then threw the bat to Darby and left.  Fans chanted, “THANK YOU STING!”  He went to leave but Marina got in his face, so Sting grabbed her and carried her backstage.  Darby then killed him with bat shots, choked him with the flag, gave him a scorpion death drop, gave him a coffin drop, then put him in the deathlock in the water.  Moxley quit and that was that.  Given the creative handcuffs they had from the commission, this couldn’t have gone any better, and after a VERY, VERY long show there was no moment when the crowd was not invested in this match, and they were going wild for the end. 

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