AEW invaded the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis for this year’s “WrestleDream,” with nine matches, plus one bonus match from the pre-show that bled into the main pay-per-view.
Last Wednesday, I expressed my discontent with the promotion’s television and general direction as of late. The road to “WrestleDream” wasn’t without its flaws. The proliferation of the Don Callis Family and Death Riders has consumed the men’s division, playing a role in four of the matches on this card alone (and one on the pre-show). The inflated factions have enabled Tony Khan’s worst creative inclinations, resulting in shows that lack imagination and a discerning voice.
Needless to say, my expectations for “WrestleDream” weren’t very high – save for the consistency that AEW has sustained on pay-per-view.
I was pleasantly surprised.
“WrestleDream” proved to be a tour de force from the promotion’s very best, offering stellar in-ring action and a cohesiveness that is seldom seen from AEW’s pay-per-views.
The show wasn’t without its flaws, though. It awkwardly began in the midst of a match from the “Tailgate Brawl” pre-show that bled into the pay-per-view, featuring FTR and JetSpeed. While the match itself was solid, it was a jarring introduction – stumbling into “WrestleDream” without its best foot forward. From there, the fun really began.
Matches
FTR vs. JetSpeed
I don’t ordinarily review matches from the pre-show, because they don’t impact the value proposition of the pay-per-view itself. This is the exception to the rule. Like Brodido, I find “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight’s earnest love for professional wrestling infectious. While Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler may stylistically be diametrically opposed to JetSpeed, their love for the sport is equal in luster. Together, these teams delivered a brilliant exhibition – demonstrating their love for tag team wrestling.
Rating: ***¾
Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla
For all intents and purposes, Jamie Hayter and Thekla’s grudge match was the true opening contest. With all parties banned from ringside, this was a furious firefight between two of AEW’s hardest hitting women – playing the foundation for a more climactic encounter at “Blood & Guts” in November.
Rating: ***½
Jurassic Express vs. The Young Bucks
The Jurassic Express and Young Bucks have historically been two of AEW’s most dynamic tag teams. Here, both teams exercised some degree of restraint, adhering to the timeless Southern tag formula. “Jungle” Jack Perry was the steadfast babyface, enduring the breadth of Matt and Nick Jackson’s offense. When Perry finally found the hot tag to Luchasaurus, the affair marched towards a raucous conclusion. I know it may seem trite in pro-wrestling, but I loved the added $500,000 cash purse. Not only was it pertinent for the Bucks at this juncture in their journey, but I think it adds a certain mystique to pro wrestling that is often reserved for boxing.
Rating: ****
The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Demand
This was a romp of a tornado tag match, with the winners receiving a shot at the AEW World Trios Championships. For weeks now, Gates of Agony have blossomed before our very eyes standing opposite of The Hurt Syndicate. This was Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun’s finest hour.
Rating: ***½
Kyle Fletcher [c] vs. Mark Briscoe
From the outset of this match, I was thrilled. By and large, it lived up to my expectations. However, it certainly left room for improvement. For starters, it would have benefited from a shorter runtime. I still fervently believe that the TNT Championship should adhere to traditional television rules, complete with a 20-minute time limit. At just shy of 20 minutes, this would have been considerably better. Kyle Fletcher and Mark Briscoe exchanged so many finishers that I became desensitized by the match’s end. I suppose those are the margins between great matches and true match of the year contenders, though.
Rating: ****
Kris Statlander [c] vs. “Timeless” Toni Storm
Kris Statlander and “Timeless” Toni Storm have never shared the ring in singles competition. Fortunately, the champion and challenger didn’t disappoint. This was a terrific reset from the previous contest. They didn’t gratuitously exchange finishing maneuvers, and it was only 16 minutes and 35 seconds from bell-to-bell.
Rating: ****¼
Mercedes Moné [c] vs. Mina Shirakawa [c]
Friday night, Mercedes Moné defended the CMLL World Women’s Championship against Persephone in Arena Mexico. Afterwards, she issued an open challenge to anyone in the world, to challenge her at “WrestleDream” for her TBS Championship. Her opponent proved to be Mina Shirakawa, leveraging her Interim ROH Women’s Television Championship in a title-versus-title matchup. This was Moné and Shirakawa’s fourth singles match in 2025, and the second time challenging for the TBS Championship. Unfortunately, Shirakawa’s efforts were once again in vain – unable to overcome the might of the “CEO.” Like Fletcher and Briscoe, this match suffered mightily from its runtime, nearly matching Statlander and Storm’s match for the AEW Women’s World Championship – without presenting anything new to their rivalry.
Rating: ***
Brodido [c] vs. Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita
A superb tag team match, reaffirming the infectious love that Bandido and Brody King have for professional wrestling. However, Bandido’s performance was the highlight here, conveying the severity of his shoulder injury with remarkable consistency. If this match were 10 minutes shorter, it would have been a surefire match of the year contender.
Rating: ***¾
“Hangman” Adam Page [c] vs. Samoa Joe
This was a terrific world heavyweight title fight, between two of the division’s hardest hitting competitors. While “Hangman” Adam Page proved that he could overcome the crucible that is Samoa Joe, it was The Opps who had the last laugh – assaulting the champion after the contest and leaving him for dead with a Muscle Buster.
Rating: ****¼
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin
“Madness is the only freedom in a sane world.”
Jon Moxley and Darby Allin’s dance macabre began one year ago, when Moxley defeated Allin at “Grand Slam” for his guaranteed shot at Bryan Danielson’s world championship. The reverberations from Allin’s failure are still being felt today, in every seismic step The Death Riders make. All of that culminated in this “I Quit” match, with their concession signifying the end of this war.
The epigraph is from Nigel McGuinness, paraphrasing the work of J.G. Ballard. McGuinness evoked the quote at the outset of the match, that perfectly encapsulated the violence that ensued. For the majority of the match, Moxley ruthlessly dismantled Allin with chilling precision. True to his word, Allin refused to relent, and as things continued to devolve – the former world champion slowly became more desperate.
Moxley and The Death Riders used all manner of plunder to maim Allin. They dug skewers under his finger nails, tased him, whipped him with a leather belt, and ultimately tried waterboarding him. That was, until the lights went out, revealing the return of “The Icon,” Sting.
Sting neutralized The Death Riders, before handing Allin his baseball bat to finish the fight of his volition. Allin seized the opportunity, swinging for the fences on Moxley’s lower extremities. Then, he used the AEW flag that he planted at the top of Mount Everest to choke the life out of Moxley, before forcing him to quit via the Scorpion Death Lock.
Allin’s victory was uniquely cathartic, certainly akin to “Hangman” Adam Page’s victory over Moxley at “All In: Texas.”
This match reinforced my theory that AEW revels in plunder, delivering one of the finest matches of the calendar year. This wasn’t for the “sickos.” This was the for the sickest of sycophants.
Rating: ****½ (+)
Final Verdict
This year’s “WrestleDream” blew my expectations out of the water. Unlike AEW’s recent television programming, this pay-per-view had both a discerning voice and boundless spirit. It also delivered five legitimately great matches, including one of the 10 best matches of 2025.
Rating: ****¼
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