AEW Dynamite 13th May 2026

Excalibur welcomes us to the show, and plugs the opening match which will be the 10 man tag team match and the rest of the card. He says we’ll hear from MJF, and they show a video of MJF from earlier in the day arriving at the arena. Renee says at Double or Nothing it will be Hair vs Title, Renee asks him if he’s really willing to put his hair on the line. MJF walks away, and as MJF is walking along he keeps seeing bald people everywhere. John Silver walks by and gets a nice pop, Tommasso Ciampa stares at MJF then takes his hat off. MJF keeps walking and sees The Demand (Ricochet & GOA), Ricochet stops him and says “Don’t worry you’re gonna look great, but not as good as me”. The Demand laugh as MJF walks off.

10 Man Tag Team Match: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), Tommasso Ciampa & The Dogs (Clark Connors & David Finlay) vs. Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Orange Cassidy & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) Tommasso Ciampa’s music plays and he comes out on stage, on commentary Tony says he didn’t realise there were so many bald people in AEW. Next, out come The Dogs, and then FTR with Stokely. Ciampa & The Dogs wait for FTR and they all make their entrance together. FTR gets a nice pop in their home town. Orange Cassidy comes out next, then The Young Bucks, Orange Cassidy tries to catch the money from Young Bucks’ entrance in his pocket. Next we have Adam Copeland who has bright green and black gear, which matches The Young Bucks’ gear. Christian comes out last, all the baby faces enter together. The bell sounds and everyone goes after each other, and everyone is fighting around ringside. Dax and Orange start wrestling in the ring. Dax hits a Superplex off the top, goes for another Suplex but Orange counters into a Stun Dog Millionaire and hits a Tornado DDT, he signals for an Orange Punch but Stokely grabs his leg and Wheeler cheap shots him. The heels work over Orange. Ciampa tried to put a single leg crab on Orange but Orange managed to kick him away, he tried to get a tag but Dax got a tag and stopped Orange from reaching his corner. The fans boo him, and he flips the fans off (in his home town no less) Dax misses a splash in the corner and he tags Wheeler and Orange tags Nick Jackson. Nick takes out all the heels, then tags in Matt, they do some superkicks and double bulldogs on The Dogs, Nick does a tremendous dive to the outside taking out FTR & Ciampa. Back in the ring Connors tries to cheapshot Matt but he hits the locomotion Northern Lights Suplexes and then does a double Northern Lights Suplex on both Connors & Finlay. Nick comes back in and the crowd goes wild. Cope and Cage are on the apron watching. The Bucks shout for a Superkick Party but Stokely reaches in and grabs both of their legs, they pull him into the ring and he begs off, FTR are sneaking up behind, but the Bucks Superkick them, they deliver Superkicks to The Dogs as they get up on the apron, FTR charge but miss The Bucks and collide with The Dogs instead. Ciampa comes in and avoids a superkick and gets the better of Matt & Nick but he accidentally hits Wheeler with a knee strike intended for Matt Jackson and then eats a double Superkick.

They tag Christian in and signal for a triple team, Christian kicks Wheeler low while the ref is distracted and The Bucks double Superkick Wheeler. Christian goes for a cover but gets a 2 count. Stokely gets up on the apron and distracts Christian with his stolen watch. Ciampa cheapshots Christian from behind and begins to work over his bad arm. The heels get the heat on Christian. Stokely sits down at commentary and puts a headset on, Taz laughs at him for being blown up. Christian manages to take Dax down and crawls for a tag, but all the heels pull the faces off the apron. Christian goes for the Killswitch, but Dax pushes him into the corner, they clunk heads and both men are down. Dax tags Connors and Christian gets a hot tag to Cope and the crowd go mental, and I mean they went nuts for Copeland getting the tag. Cope takes out all the heels, he back body drops Finlay to the outside and he wipes out FTR, Cope sets up for a spear on Connors but Finlay grabs his leg, Nick Jackson kicks Finlay, hits a Spring Board X Factor on Connors then moonsaults to the floor to take out Finlay. Inside, Cope hits his modified reverse DDT for a 2 count. The Bucks and Christian triple team Connors in the corner, Orange Cassidy does a forward roll into a hip attack to Connors in the corner. Finlay charges at him but Cassidy hits a low dropkick and Finlay hits the turnbuckle. Ciampa tries to attack Christian but Christian pushes him into Wheeler, then hits a double reverse DDT on Ciampa and Dax. The Bucks, Orange and Christian all go up to the top rope and hit dives to Wheeler, Cash, Ciampa & Finlay in the ring. Meanwhile Cope hits an Impaler DDT on Connors for a two count. The Bucks hit stereo suicide dives to Ciampa and Finlay to the outside. In the ring Christian and Orange bump into each other, Cassidy puts his hands up in the air for his hand pocket thing but Christian stops him, Cassidy then grabs Christian’s hands and puts them in Christian’s pockets, then Orange puts his hands in his pockets. Christian then throws Orange over the top rope and he wipes out FTR. Christian then dives off the top turnbuckle, wiping out Finlay. In the ring, Copeland looks like he’s going to go for a dive, but FTR hits the Shatter Machine on him, Connors being the legal man comes in to make the pin but Orange Cassidy makes the save. FTR stares Orange down and Cassidy does his trademark kicks, they go for the Shatter Machine but The Bucks save him. The Bucks hit Superkicks. Ciampa takes out The Bucks. Christian hits the Killswitch on Ciampa, Connors then turns Christian inside out with his running tackle. Connors stares at Cope, and he signals for a spear but Cope leapfrogs him and Connors spears Dax by mistake. The Bucks come in and together with Cope triple superkick Connors, Orange hits an Orange Punch and Cope hits a spear for the 3 count. Winners: Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Orange Cassidy & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) Post-match it looks like Christian is bleeding from the left eye.

A fantastic start to the show, it was cool to see Cope have matching gear with The Bucks.

Earlier today, The Death Riders were training outside on the rooftop. Daniel Garcia says Ospreay is cleared and is having his first match back tonight, he says “Young Boy Billy you need to show me something” which is very odd language to be coming from Garcia. Ospreay is doing a neck bridge, while Moxley is putting a hold on Yuta and showing Ospreay how to do it while Ospreay is looking at him upside down. Mox & Ospreay get to their feet and Moxley asks him how his neck is, he says it’s the best it’s felt in forever. Moxley asks him if he remembers when he won Best of the Super Juniors, Moxley says he was carefree and like a bird. He says everyone tried to make everything overcomplicated, and life happens, you have responsibilities, bad things happen and bad choices happen, the weight weighs down on your shoulders and you feel like you can’t fly. Nothing is different, nothing has changed, but you can still fly, you’re just more dangerous, you’re a bird of prey. He says tonight when you go out there, don’t try and protect anything, go out and give something. Moxley then shouts at Yuta.

Back live, in the arena Excalibur talks about Ricochet’s challenge to Jericho for Stadium Stampede. They show a video package of The Demand and Jericho with highlights of previous Stadium Stampede matches. They also show Jack Perry’s promo from Fairway to Hell, offering four guys to join Jericho’s team, himself, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. Backstage we see The Demand and Mark Davis, Ricochet says Jericho talks out of his ass, while they get things done, Mark Davis shows off his new National Title. Ricochet says thanks to his golfing buddy Don Callis, this guy is also on his team: Detective Andrade walks in and Ricochet says gracias. Ricochet says he knows two guys who have an axe to grind with The Bucks, and they are The Dogs. Finlay and Connors walk in, Finlay says they will fight The Bucks anywhere, if you want Chaos and Carnage then you need The Dogs.

Back live, “Speedball” Mike Bailey comes out with “The Jet” Kevin Knight. Bailey is having a squash match, commentary put over Bailey winning a lot of matches recently, it’s a shame they are against nobodies. Speedball hits a kick in the corner and The Ultimate Weapon for the 3 count in about 30 seconds.

They go straight into a TNT Title Match with Kevin Knight having an Open Challenge match. Brian Cage answers the call, flanked by Lance Archer and Roppongi Vice and Rocky & Trent are wearing suits that would have fit in Miami Vice. TNT Championship: Kevin Knight © vs. Brian Cage Cage has been injured for 14 months, as Renee is ringside talking up Cage saying he is more jacked than ever. Taz thinks Cage is going to win the title, Knight tries to chop Cage but he no sells it, he lifts Knight up for a press , and just overpowers him, Knight can’t knock Cage down, Knight goes for a Jumping DDT but Cage throws him off and hits a Superkick. Bailey tries to motivate Knight. Cage with shoulders and chops in the corner. Archer is in Cage’s corner, RPG Vice are not ringside. Cage continues to dominate Knight. Jet manages to send him through the ropes to the apron and then dropkicks him to the floor. Knight goes for a suicide dive but Cage swats him up and over, I think he was trying to catch him on his shoulders, so he puts him up in a fireman carry and launches him forward onto the ring apron, it was kind of like an F-5. Lance Archer talks trash to Knight, Cage hits a back suplex on the ring apron, and then launches Knight over the guard rail, pulls him back in and delivers a chop. Cage mocks Bailey’s kicks. Cage tosses Knight into the ring, then puts him in a Cloverleaf submission but Knight makes the ropes. Knight tries to fight back with chops, but to no avail. Taz asks Tony if he looked like Cage when he was in high school, Tony says no, but he tried. Cage with a clothesline in the corner and a Back Suplex. Knight rolls out onto the apron and begins to try and fight back with forearm strikes, but to no avail. Cage hits a unique swinging face buster for a 2 count, he argues with the referee and then signals for the end. Knight slips out of a suplex, goes for a Jumping DDT, Cage catches him and holds on to him, Knight manages to drop Cage throat first across the top rope, then comes off the top with a Springboard Dropkick and the crowd come alive for him. Both men are down. They get to their feet and Cage misses punches and Knight connects with some, Cage throws Knight to the corner but misses a clothesline, Knight comes off the ropes and Cage elevates him but Knight hits him with a Dropkick. Cage retreats to the outside and Knight does a flip dive to the outside but Cage catches him, Knight with a Rana that sends Cage into the steel steps. Knight charges, leaps up on the apron and delivers a flying clothesline to Cage. Knight rolls him back in, Bailey delivers a thrust kick to Archer on the outside and Knight is distracted on the top rope, Cage hits a massive Superplex. Taz says it’s VINTAGE Brian Cage but he only gets a 2 count. Back outside, Archer tries to Choke Slam Bailey on the apron but he gets out of it, Cage is distracted and Bailey with a Spring Board Moonsault off the top rope to Archer on the outside. Back in the ring Knight finally manages to deliver his jumping DDT for a 2 count. Back elbow in the corner from Cage who sits up on the top turnbuckle, Knight goes for his leaping Rana but gets it wrong, Cage makes the smart choice to make it look he blocked it, and pulls Knight up into position as if he’s going to Avalanche Powerbomb him but instead Knight hits a Rana and then goes up top and hits the UFO Splash for the 3 count. Winner: Kevin Knight ©

Cage saved him at the end and made him look a million dollars when another athlete wouldn’t have been able to do that. Huge credit to Cage who looked great here.

Post-match Bailey gets in the ring with a mic and hands one to Knight, he says congratulations on his title defence, Knight says much appreciated and Speedball is red hot right now, The Jet says he’s still TNT Champion but he can’t get over the fact he couldn’t get the job done becoming Jet2Belts. Bailey says forget last week, he says everyone knows he’s a future World Champion. Knight says he appreciates the support from the fans and from Speedball, he says one day Bailey could be a singles champion. Bailey makes a challenge for the World Title, saying he wants the winner of Darby Allin or Takeshita.

Bailey challenging for the World Title is a stretch, he’s done what? Beaten some jobbers? Don’t get me wrong, they did a good angle with him against MJF in Canada, but I don’t think it’s worth giving him a title shot. But I think Darby’s had way too many defences already. I expected Bailey to challenge Knight to a TNT title match, in the spirit of "friendly competition" which would ultimately lead to the break-up of their team. The way Knight was talking about Speedball one day being a champion sounded a bit patronising.

Back live, they show a graphic on screen for the brackets for the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament:

Samoa Joe vs. Will Ospreay will face the winner of Mark Davis vs. Jack Perry
Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido will face the winner of Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brody King

Joe vs. Ospreay and Swerve vs. Bandido are taking place at Double or Nothing

To me, this is lining up Ospreay to challenge for the World Title at All in London at Wembley Stadium. On the other side of the bracket you have Swerve vs. Bandido and you could easily see Swerve facing Brody King next. I think we’ll have Ospreay vs. Swerve in the finals.

Backstage Jack Perry cuts a promo on Mark Davis, he says Davis is built like an Australian Grizzly Bear but he still needed someone to hit him with a golf club in order to beat him. He says at Stadium Stampede bring any weapon with him, he will crack it over his head. He says he’s going to win the Owen Hart Foundation tournament, and if Davis doesn’t like that then fuck you. What a nice young man.

Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin Ospreay comes out to a great reaction and the fans sing his name. Ospreay has no trainer’s tape and he runs around the ring. Ace Austin comes out. Bell sounds and the fans sing for Ospreay. Ospreay offers his hand to Austin and he reluctantly shakes his hand. Lots of submission and mat wrestling at the start. Ospreay with a monkey flip and an arm drag, puts Austin’s arm in a submission and stomps it, then starts to work Austin’s arm, commentary say that could be the Death Riders influence. Austin hits a neckbreaker but Ospreay kicks out at 1 and no sells it. Austin with a neck submission but Ospreay immediately gets to the ropes, Ospreay comes back with a thrust kick, Austin with a DVD for a one count. Austin with a snapmare and a neck submission. Austin with chops in the corner and a snap suplex for a 1 count. Austin puts Ospreay in a head scissor submission, Ospreay gets up and Austin is on his shoulders, Austin slips out, delivers some chops and starts to deliver elbows to Ospreay’s neck and puts him in a rear chin lock. Ospreay with a Pip Pip Cheerio off the top, and has been no-selling his neck. Manhattan Drop, middle kick and a Standing Sky Twister Press for a 2 count. Ospreay goes back to working over Austin’s left arm and delivers kicks. Corkscrew Kick from Ospreay and Austin rolls to the outside. Ospreay fires the crowd up and goes for a dive over the top but Austin avoids it and Ospreay lands on his feet, they do some cat and mouse and Austin ends up with a splash on Ospreay, Ospreay gets a kick on Austin, and a top rope forearm smash to the back of Austin’s head, he hits an Os-cutter for a 2 count. Ospreay goes for a Hidden Blade but Austin dodges it and drives Ospreay face first. Austin comes from the outside in with a Tiaras Head Scissor off the top, Ospreay tries for a Styles Clash, but Austin picks his leg, transitions into a submission pin, but Ospreay kicks out at 2. Austin lifts him up in an Air Raid Crash position but flips him around into a flatliner. Ospreay kicks out 2 but Austin doesn't hook the leg. “This is Awesome” chant from the fans. Ospreay gets an arm lock and goes for a Cheeky Nandos Kick but Austin dodges it, comes off the top but Ospreay catches him with a sit-out powerbomb for a 2 count. Both men exchange strikes, and kicks. Ospreay with a rolling elbow, goes for Storm Breaker but Austin slips out and hits a kick, Austin went for his neckbreaker finish, but Ospreay hits a hidden blade, Ospreay signals for another but Austin collapses, Ospreay repositions himself and hits a running boot to Austin’s arm, does a flying arm bar, puts him a cross-arm breaker and Austin taps out immediately. Winner: Will Ospreay

Post-match Excalibur says this was the first submission win of Ospreay’s AEW career. Ospreay shakes Austin’s hand. Samoa Joe, Shibata and Anthony Bowens come out onto the stage. Joe has a mic and shouts OSPREAY (what is he stealing Roderick Strong’s gimmick) The crowd start singing Ospreay’s name. Joe says he wants to make sure Ospreay hears him because he’s not been heard in recent weeks, Joe talks about choices and consequences, he says he would have given Ospreay a bye in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Joe says The Opps would have supported and enhanced him but instead he became a lapdog for Jon Moxley and The Death Riders. Joe says at Double or Nothing he will make Ospreay suffer the consequences. Joe says he’ll leave him be tonight, but his friends feel slighted and he doesn’t put leashes on his friends. Bowens and Shibata get up on the apron, and The Death Riders’ music plays. Through the crowd PAC, Castagnoli, Garcia, Yuta, Moxley and Shafir come out to Ospreay’s aid and Shibata & Bowens back down. Joe says soon. Loud Moxley chants from the fans. Ospreay looks back at Moxley and Moxley looks happy as the Death Riders leave.

Ospreay gave Austin way too much here, he should have won it sooner. Joe has come across as a total geek in recent weeks and tonight was no different, he says The Opps could have supported and enhanced Ospreay, but that’s exactly what The Death Riders have done for him, to say he’s Moxley’s lapdog - there’s been nothing like that at all. I don’t know if Joe and The Opps are meant to be delusional but that’s what they look like.

Backstage, Renee (wearing glasses) is with Konosoke Takeshita and Don Callis. Callis says Takeshita is going to be World Champion, MJF enters and says he can’t think of a better match than Takeshita vs. MJF for the World Championship, they shake hands and Takeshita says something in Japanese and leaves. Don says that was a nice pep talk he gave Takeshita, MJF says he didn’t mean any of it, he’s having a panic attack and says he has to beat Darby, he can’t turn into a disgusting bald freak, he says “No offence Don, you look great”. He says to Don if things get hairy, he’s giving him this and hands him the Dynamite Diamond Ring. In walks Andrade who goes face to face with MJF, he takes his hat off and shakes his long hair in front of him. MJF leaves. Don says Takeshita will bring the World title back to the Don Callis family, Andrade asks “How you know?” Don speaks Spanish to Andrade, and Andrade says next time it needs to be him challenging for the World Title.

They show the Women’s brackets for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. I think they should go with Athena winning it. Do they go down the route though of another Brit winning it so they have a homecoming title match at All In? Would that be too much?

Backstage, The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Willow Nightingale) are together with Renee. Renee asks Orange who his partner will be when they challenge for the Tag Team titles. Kyle says Orange should pick Roddy, Kyle then challenges Jon Moxley to a Continental Title match. Willow Nightingale takes her TBS title out from her backpack and says she’s also in the Owen Hart Tournament, she says she has won this tournament before and she will do it again. Orange says they should do the Word of the Day. Roddy shouts “MARK” and Mark Briscoe walks in and says the word of the day is Reunification because he’s back in the Conglomeration, he challenges Tommasso Ciampa to a match next week. He says Collision is in his home town and they are going to do some Conglomerating.

Here comes the Spider People for a Women’s Trios Match: Triangle of Madness (Thekla, Skye Blue & Julia Hart) vs. Hikaru Shida & The Brawling Birds (Alex Windsor & Jamie Hayter) The heels tried to jump Hayter at the start but the faces came in and got the better of them. All the faces did 10 punches to the heels. Blue got the better of Shida outside and was standing on the guard rail, so Alex Windsor got up there with her too, Windsor lost her footing so Hayter came to help and they double team Military Pressed Blue onto the ring apron. Thekla hit a dive to the outside. The heels hit a series of chops on the faces on the commentary table, then launched them into the ring apron. Thekla worked over Hayter in the ring, then Julia Hart worked over Hayter, then with cheap shots to the faces on the apron. Blue gets tagged in and stomps Hayter in the corner. They continue to work over Hayter. Hart puts Hayter in the Tarantula, Thekla takes out Windsor, Hayter drops Thekla with a big boot. She goes to tag Shida who at first looked reluctant, but then high fived her, Shida takes out both Thekla and Hart, suplexing Hart into Thekla in the corner, then a stalling suplex on Thekla for a 2 count. Thekla comes back with a kick to the mid section, then a forearm strike. Heels with lots of tags, Gordbuster, double thrust kick and Thekla hits her spear but the Brawling Birds push the heels into the pin to break it up. Windsor drags Shida to her corner and tags in. Brawling Birds double team Thekla, then go for the 2 birds 1 stone finish but Blue trips Hayter and sends her into the ring steps. Shida hit a jumping knee to Thekla. Hayter with a backbreaker on Blue, Hart with a Lung Blower on Hayter, Windsor with a sit-out Spinebuster on Hart, Blue is legal though and goes for a Code Blue but Windsor gets out of it, The Brawling Birds set Blue up for 2 birds 1 stone but Thekla waffles Hayter with the Women’s World Title belt in front of the referee for a rare disqualification here in AEW. Winners: Hikaru Shida & The Brawling Birds Post-match Blue puts Windsor in a Dragon Sleeper, and the ref takes the title belt from Thekla which seems weird since it’s after the match, Thekla removes her belt and starts whipping Hayter with it, more referees run out and Julia Hart mists one of them in the face. Thekla is choking Hayter with her belt. Meanwhile Hikaru Shida is leaving with her kendo stick, and wants nothing to do with the Triangle People. Then, Mina Shirakawa, Willow Nightingale and Thunder Rosa run in to chase the Triangle of Madness who bail. Alex Windsor was asking where Shida went.

Triangle of Madness are a great trio, I hadn't been impressed with Julia Hart previously but she was good here. Shida is just being Shida, and I love it. She's not really a babyface or a heel, she's just smart. Why would she stay to get triple teamed, and she has no interest in helping the Brawling Birds when they could be enemies for a Tag Team run with Statlander, and she is in a Women's World Title match against Hayter at Double or Nothing.

Rush Video Package

I decided to just watch the match instead of recapping it. It had some big moments like Takeshita hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb off the apron and to the floor. I was waiting for Darby to impress me on this World Title run, and this was the match for sure, some fantastic stuff from both guys, and the way Darby won was so smart with the urgency he had to defeat Takeshita made it believable. Kudos. Basically, he had Takeshita in a Scorpion Death Lock, but the moment Takeshita got to the ropes, he immediately went up top with urgency and delivered a Coffin Drop to Takeshita's back, then hit a second regular Coffin Drop to win. Another wrestler showing some smarts, Darby took a page from Hikaru Shida's book it seems.

Post-match Darby calls out MJF for the contract signing who walks out gingerly. Tony says MJF won’t sign the contract. MJF is standing in the corner, the fans chant “Bald” at him. Darby signs the contract, MJF deliberates and gets on the mic. He says he is going to explain something to Darby while he looks like he has rabies. He says he hopes Darby has enjoyed his time with HIS World Title, he says there’s a small part of him that feels bad for Darby, because he’s never going to hold the World Title ever again. He says Darby is a stuntman who burns the candle at both ends, he says Darby hasn’t made an impact, the fans know deep down he was a little prick who got lucky, and he was too reckless and stupid to stay on top. He says at Double or Nothing he’s going to be a 3x World Champion by the age of 30, unprecedented. He says Darby brags about climbing a mountain, well MJF is the mountain of professional wrestling. Darby says he cares about living in the moment, and in this moment he wants him to sign the contract, and at Double or Nothing he’s going to make MJF a bald headed bitch. MJF signs the contract, holds it up and then takes Darby down and lays in strikes on him, he flips the table, puts the Dynamite Diamond Ring on his finger and drops Darby. Tony says Darby is a “kid” who has made 5 title defences in 21 days and MJF is bad for attacking him, what a load of horse shit. He’s the World Champion you idiot. MJF stands over the fallen Darby and raises the World Title. MJF goes to leave, but heads back in the ring, he lifts Darby up and goes for a Tombstone Piledriver off the middle rope but Kevin Knight runs in and MJF bails. Knight offers his hand to Darby and helps him up as the show ends.

A nice way to keep Kevin Knight in the main event scene, and of course he does hold a recent singles win over MJF.

Jon Moxley is proud of his latest recruit William Peter Charles Ospreay