With a new women’s champion crowned at “All Out,” the Kris Statlander era has officially begun with two middle fingers (to Jon Moxley) and an “important announcement” from Tony Khan.
For once, Khan’s “important announcement” was apropos, unveiling the newly minted AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships.
The show opened with Adam Copeland having decided to step away from AEW, in lieu of FTR breaking his wife’s neck with a spike piledriver.
There are three working theories, here:
- The “Rated R Superstar” is jumping ship to join the John Cena retirement tour. This seems like the prevailing theory, although it’s certainly the most unlikely.
- Copeland may be taking a break to film season three of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which began its production in early August.
- Given his advanced age, Copeland may need to recuperate before his next duel with FTR.
FTR isn’t wasting any time, though. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler showed no remorse for their aforementioned transgressions at “All Out,” so Willow Nightingale took them to task. JetSpeed joined Nightingale, forcing FTR and Stokely Hathaway to retreat.
Copeland isn’t the only star who will be stepping away from AEW. Moments after his tables ‘n’ tacks match against Mark Briscoe last Saturday, MJF was interviewed backstage. The self-proclaimed “Devil” believes that he’s become a caricature of himself, in pursuit of his former glory. Two years ago, he was the most sought-after talent in all of professional wrestling. Now, he’s taken a back seat to “Hangman” Adam Page, Will Ospreay, and Swerve Strickland. So, he’s taking a step back from AEW to reinvent himself, or to film “Violent Night 2” and enjoy his honeymoon.
In any event, MJF promised that he won’t return until he’s more dangerous than ever.
The show ended with Darby Allin hobbling down the ramp to confront The Death Riders with the great equalizer: a flame thrower. Allin is ready to put everything on the line to settle his score with Moxley, so he challenged him to an “I Quit” match at “WrestleDream.”
The road to “WrestleDream” began with a bang. From top to bottom, this week’s rendition of “Dynamite” was a significant improvement from last week’s.
In fact, this was one of the better episodes of “Dynamite” in 2025. Not only were the segments engaging, but the match quality was obscenely high.
Rating: ****½
Brodido vs. Gates of Agony
Brodido’s love for professional wrestling is earnest and infectious, so it’s no surprise that they’re batting 1.000. I must give credit where credit is due to Gates of Agony, who have really become a force of nature in this tag team division.
I love that Brody King and Bandido’s partnership hasn’t had an underlying narrative. They’re just doing this for their mutual love of the game. That’s the ethos of All Elite Wrestling.
Rating: ***¼
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: “Hangman” Adam Page [c] vs. Lee Moriarty
Lee Moriarty has become the best kept secret in professional wrestling, as the ROH Pure Champion. Now, “TAIGASTYLE” has answered “Hangman” Adam Page’s open challenge — making his first appearance on the world stage.
Moriarty wisely chose to target Page’s neck, taking advantage of his lingering injuries from Saturday’s match against Kyle Fletcher. The other emphasis here was Moriarty finding creative ways to counter Page’s patented Deadeye, building greater anticipation towards the climax.
In Ospreay, Strickland and now MJF’s absence: a new star has emerged in Lee Moriarty. Hopefully, Tony Khan gives Moriarty an opportunity to continue proving himself.
Rating: ***¾
The Conglomeration vs. Don Callis Family
This match featured the return of Orange Cassidy, conglomerating with his fellow stablemates Mark Briscoe and Hologram. Their opponents were Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita and Hechicero — a tremendous trio in their own right. However, Hologram’s presence assured The Conglomeration’s victory, extending his winning streak to 34-0.
This felt like a good all-star man tag match, that was just a little more concise.
Afterwards, Kyle Fletcher came out to address the undefeated Hologram, challenging him to a match at next week’s sixth anniversary show; pitting Fletcher’s TNT Title against Hologram’s streak.
Rating: ***¾
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
The Opps’ war with The Death Riders continued last night, when Powerhouse Hobbs challenged Claudio Castagnoli. This was a classic hoss match, between two of AEW’s most physically imposing forces. Castagnoli has quietly had a terrific year and this was a fun addition to his catalogue.
Rating: ***¼
Kris Statlander [c] vs. Mina Shirakawa
The main event saw Kris Statlander stage her first title defense, against perennial bridesmaid Mina Shirakawa. This was everything I anticipated it would be and more.
Statlander is the most dynamic performer in the women’s division, so Shirakawa tried to ground the champion — targeting her lower extremities. Of course, Statlander managed to weather the storm, stealing another victory with the seatball pin.
Rating: ***½
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