The first AEW of 2026 is live and kicks off with Oklahoma’s very own Jim Ross!
Backstage: We learn JetSpeed have been attacked by Mark Davis and the AEW debut of Jake Doyle (formerly Jake Something).
Our first bout of the night features the new AEW Continental Champion, Jon Moxley, narrowly defeating Shelton Benjamin. Really good match in which Shelton, at points, seemed to completely overwhelm and maul Mox. Shelton lobbed him around with close to a total of ten German suplexes. However, with mere minutes to go, Shelton locks Mox in a triangle hold, but Mox leans in and pins the challenger.
A result like this is questionable. While it was a really good match, it didn’t do much to favor Benjamin. With these “Eliminator” matches, losers don’t get a chance to challenge again. I get Mox is once again being pushed as a workhorse, which he certainly can be. However, a guy like Benjamin should have been given more of a shot. With Lashley out with injury, a short feud with Mox would have given Benjamin a rightfully deserved singles push.
Jungle Jack Perry and the Young Bucks defeated The Demand
Fantastically fun match. Bucks and Perry can move lightning fast and slow the pace to match the Gates of Agony. However, it can be observed that the G.O.A. are fully capable of speeding up their pace to match the Bucks and Perry. Toa Liona hulked out hard by carrying all three of his opponents on his shoulder before falling back with a Samoan Drop. Ricochet ends up the victim of a trifecta of finishing moves. The Bucks got it no matter babyface or heel.
While Ricochet is the one who gets pinned, thus pleasing everyone who loves to see jerks lose, he still has the National Championship and no sign of ending his trash talk. Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona are at their best. The Demand stable has given them the very much needed injection. After the match, the Don Callis family rush out and prolong the beat down. As JetSpeed rush the ring with some violent weapons to assist, the lights go out…
Andrade is back! Again!
The Callis family has yet another member (back) on the team. I’ll be bluntly honest, this feels like they just repeated his last return since it went south with the legal obstacles. This felt a bit shoehorned in. Shame there wasn’t a better way to re-re-reintroduce him to the roster.
Curious, FTR shows up to observe from the top of the stage. Not really sure what the purpose was. FTR vs. Bucks again?
If only The Righteous stuck around.
New TBS Champion Willow Nightingale, Harley Cameron, and AEW World Women’s Champion have a celebration in the ring. Willow hypes up all three of them, and even invites Mercedes Mone to the ring. In fact Mone does come to the ring in white funeral garb. My wife accurately predicted, despite Willow completely praising and putting over Mone, the former champion lost her marbles, screaming uncontrollably while ruining the party. My wife dubs her as “Cray Cray Mone.” While Statlander saves the cake, the CEO’s wild tantrum causes her to fall into it. Doctor Bomb administered and the ladies cha-cha-train over Cray Cray Mone’s corpse.
The fall or Mone is going to be epic.
A promo backstage from Thekla, Skye Blue, and Julia Hart challenges the trio of women to a match on Collision.
Taped promo from TNT Champion Mark Briscoe included something about being a workhorse, a dog who has to pee, rejuvenating, regrouping, and recalculating. Lord bless Briscoe.
ROH World Champion Bandido defeated ROH Tag Team Champion Sammy Guevara in a very entertaining match. Sammy wasn’t winning, but he made sure to remind everyone he can be a villain on par with Wheeler Yuta. Bandido wins it with the 21-Plex.
After the match, AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman comes out to the ring with Jon Cruz in tow! Yay Jon Cruz! MJF taunts Bandido until he instructs Cruz to repeat the promo in Spanish. MJF repeats this again until Bandido cuts him off, tired of insults. MJF then kicks Bandido low, then stalls the Dynamite Diamond Ring. However, Bandido recovers after MJF accidentally KOs Cruz with the ring. Bandido then kicks MJF in the Matzah Balls, hitting both Cruz and MJF with the 21-Gunplex.
This will be a great match, but Bandido is not going to walk away as AEW World Champion.
There was a sign in the crowd saying “Smack that thing off Sammy’s lip.” Referring to his hideous mustache.
Toni Storm defeated Marina Shafir via DQ
Storm winning via disqualification was the only believable outcome for her to win. Shafir held the match in control until Toni Storm began to outmaneuver and frustrate the slower fighter. Storm had Shafir pinned with the “Large Package” but Yuta Wheeler’s interference ended the match. Another reason we can all hate him. A brawl breaks out, but saves are made by Mina Shirakawa, Roderick Strong, and Orange Cassidy.
AEW Dynamite 17/26 Main Event: Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page defeated Hook and Powerhouse Hobbs — Lights Out Match
Hook hit a beautiful underhooked capture overhead suplex on Swerve, landing him on the ring apron. However, Swerve brought out a staple gun, making sure he patched up both Hook and Hobbs. Lots of plunder and extreme moments. Chair shots, tables, and even more use of the staple gun. A platform of cinderblocks was introduced by Page and Swerve, only for Hobbs to use it against them with a big powerslam. Prince Nana got involved by splashing “hot coffee” in Hobbs’ face. Hobbs was eliminated when he ate a Deadeye on the blocks followed by a House Call. Hook then ate one himself, and was then choked out with a chain. The Opps Dojo members, aka random indy dudes interfered more than usual, but were still fodder.
Swerve and Page, amazingly unified, pose a huge threat to the empire Samoa Joe has built. Two things need to happen. If Joe is going to be portrayed as a mafia boss in a similar fashion to Mox, then we need more members, legit members of the Opps Dojo. Swerve and Page need a third man to challenge for the Trios Championships. Money is on Will Ospreay but I would love for someone else to be a credible partner.
