AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster felt less like an ordinary episode of weekly television and more like the first act of a summer action movie with multiple explosions waiting to go off at once.
The opening scene gave us Chris Jericho returning to confront Tommaso Ciampa. Jon Moxley and Shane Taylor turned the AEW Continental Championship match into an ugly hometown fight before Shane Taylor Promotions left the Death Riders lying in the wreckage. Darby Allin returned with a skateboard and unfinished business. Mark Briscoe forced MJF into a six-on-six steel cage war at Forbidden Door. Maya World transformed an unimaginable week into an emotional upset. Zack Sabre Jr. challenged Kenny Omega to find out whether “The Best Bout Machine” is still one of the best wrestlers alive.
Then Swerve Strickland and Brody King closed the show by tearing through each other in a violent Owen Hart Foundation Tournament semifinal that felt worthy of the Summer Blockbuster name. Swerve advanced to face Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door, but he did not leave Cincinnati looking heroic. He survived because Prince Nana handed him the opening he needed.
AEW packed a lot into two hours. Not everything had enough room to breathe, but the show consistently moved with urgency and purpose. It made Forbidden Door feel significantly bigger than it did before the opening credits rolled.
Here are the full results
- Jon Moxley (c) defeated (Shane Taylor AEW Continental Championship)
- Mark Briscoe defeated PAC
- IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Andrade El Ídolo defeated AEW World Trios Champion Orange Cassidy
- Maya World defeated Skye Blue (Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quarterfinal Match)
- Swerve Strickland defeated Brody King by pinfall to advance to the final of the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semifinal Match)
Breakdowns & Reactions
Chris Jericho Returns To Confront Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa opened Summer Blockbuster by once again attempting to intimidate Tony Schiavone into declaring that he is better than Chris Jericho. Before Schiavone could give in, Jericho returned and immediately got under Ciampa’s skin by calling him “Tommy,” making jokes about his lack of hair and encouraging the Cincinnati crowd to join in.
The comedy worked because Jericho knew exactly how to irritate Ciampa, but it also came dangerously close to making the Psycho Killer feel less threatening than he should. Ciampa’s resentment has a strong foundation. He believes Jericho returned to AEW and stole the spotlight he had been promised. That insecurity should remain the engine of the feud.
The eventual brawl brought the intensity back. Security repeatedly separated them, only for both men to break free and continue fighting.
Grade: B-
What worked: Jericho’s return received a strong reaction, Ciampa’s frustration felt believable and the brawl gave the rivalry forward momentum.
What didn’t: The jokes occasionally overshadowed the anger that should make this feud compelling.
Don Callis Struggles To Control Andrade El Ídolo And Kevin Knight
Backstage, Andrade El Ídolo interrupted Don Callis and TNT Champion Kevin Knight before Knight could fully explain his recent actions. Andrade made his position clear: Knight is the newest member of the Don Callis Family, and he needs to get in line.
Knight refused to accept that hierarchy. He called himself the real champion and walked away with Callis, leaving Andrade visibly irritated.
The Don Callis Family is beginning to resemble a blockbuster villain organization that recruited too many ambitious mercenaries without considering what happens when they all want the same prize. Andrade wants the AEW World Championship. Knight wants the AEW World Championship. Kyle Fletcher has no reason to quietly accept either man moving ahead of him forever.
Callis may have built the deepest faction in AEW, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep everyone pointed in the same direction.
Grade: B
What worked: The tension between Andrade and Knight created a simple internal conflict with long-term potential.
What didn’t: AEW needs to avoid stretching the dissension out for too long without a meaningful escalation.
Jon Moxley Retains The AEW Continental Championship As Shane Taylor Promotions Declares War
Jon Moxley and Shane Taylor did not waste time trying to turn their championship match into something polished or pretty. This was a fight between two Ohio men attempting to prove who could absorb more punishment.
Taylor controlled large stretches of the match with his size, heavy body shots and overwhelming power. He launched Moxley through the timekeeper’s table with a uranage, trapped him against the ring apron before dropping a leg across his throat and repeatedly cut off the champion’s comebacks with strikes that looked like they could stop almost anyone.
Moxley survived because he understands how to turn chaos into opportunity. He absorbed Taylor’s offense, fought his way back into the match and locked in the Bulldog Choke after stomping Taylor’s head into the mat.
The match ending was only the beginning.
Taylor blindsided Moxley after the bell and whipped him with a belt. Daniel Garcia attempted to make the save, but The Infantry cut him off. Marina Shafir tried to enter the fight before Trish Adora attacked her knee with a kendo stick. Shane Taylor Promotions stood tall while the Death Riders were left scattered around the ring.
Moxley retained the championship, but STP won the larger battle.
Grade: B+
What worked: Taylor looked dangerous, Moxley had to earn the victory and the post-match beatdown made STP feel like a legitimate threat.
What didn’t: Taylor’s defeat was expected, making the post-match attack necessary to keep the rivalry alive.
Mercedes Moné Sends A Warning To Hazuki
Mercedes Moné appeared in a video package and made it clear that her return is not about redemption. After six months away, she believes the women’s division lost its power in her absence. Hazuki is simply the next person standing in the CEO’s way.
The segment was brief, but it gave next week’s Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament semifinal a clear story. Hazuki is not facing a returning star searching for confidence. She is facing someone who believes the division still belongs to her.
Grade: B
What worked: Moné’s confidence made the semifinal feel important without requiring a long promo.
What didn’t: Hazuki will need enough attention next week to ensure the match does not become entirely about Moné.
Darby Allin Returns To Attack Kevin Knight
Kevin Knight joined Don Callis in the ring and bragged about breaking away from Speedball Mike Bailey, becoming Callis’ top asset and setting his sights on becoming “Jet 2 Belts.” Knight called out MJF.
Instead, Darby Allin returned.
Allin blindsided Knight with a skateboard shot to the back and shouted that he hoped New York was worth it. It was a direct response to Knight helping MJF defeat Allin for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing.
The rest of the Don Callis Family prevented Allin from delivering a Coffin Drop, but the point had already been made. Allin did not return to cut a long promo or explain his feelings. He returned to hurt someone.
That is exactly how Darby Allin should be presented.
Grade: A-
What worked: Allin’s return was sudden, physical and rooted in a logical storyline.
What didn’t: Nothing major. The segment did what it needed to do without overstaying its welcome.
Mark Briscoe Defeats PAC Before Revealing His Plan For MJF
Mark Briscoe and PAC produced one of the best matches of the night by wrestling with the urgency of two men who had something meaningful to prove.
Briscoe threw himself into the fight with his usual reckless energy, including an elbow drop from the apron to the floor and a suplex that sent both men crashing over the top rope. PAC responded by slowing the pace whenever possible, striking with precision and punishing Briscoe’s willingness to take unnecessary risks.
The final sequence was excellent. Briscoe missed the Froggy Bow when PAC raised his knees. PAC went to the top rope, but Briscoe returned the favor. One Jay Driller later, Briscoe had another major victory.
Then the story became even more important.
Briscoe called out MJF and demanded a path to the AEW World Championship. MJF refused, insulted Briscoe and explained that money matters more than friendship. Jay Lethal, Blake Christian and Lee Johnson attacked Briscoe from behind until The Conglomeration made the save.
Briscoe responded with the biggest announcement of the night.
At Forbidden Door, Briscoe and five partners will face MJF and five partners inside a steel cage. If Briscoe’s team wins, he earns a guaranteed AEW World Championship opportunity.
MJF has spent weeks believing he could simply deny Briscoe a title shot forever. Briscoe finally found a way to drag the champion into a fight he cannot talk his way out of.
Match Grade: A-
Segment Grade: A
What worked: Briscoe and PAC delivered a physical match, Briscoe gained momentum and the steel cage announcement gave Forbidden Door a major AEW-driven storyline match.
What didn’t: Cutting to commercial immediately after MJF’s entrance disrupted the momentum of the segment.
Andrade El Ídolo Defeats Orange Cassidy As Lio Rush Adds Another Strange Layer
Orange Cassidy and Andrade El Ídolo opened their match with comedy. Andrade prevented Cassidy from placing his hands in his pockets, only for Cassidy to zip Andrade’s pockets shut. Andrade removed his pants. Cassidy responded by removing his own jeans and revealing another pair underneath.
It was ridiculous, but the match gradually shifted into a strong wrestling contest.
Cassidy hit multiple DDTs, including one on the elevated ramp, and repeatedly found ways to stay alive against Andrade’s strength and athleticism. Andrade countered the Orange Punch with a brutal discus back elbow before finishing Cassidy with The DM.
Lio Rush also appeared at ringside and inserted himself into the action by taking selfies and confusing everyone around him. The Blackheart character remains intentionally unsettling, but AEW needs to make sure the strange presentation eventually leads somewhere meaningful.
Andrade’s victory was the correct result. He continues to call for an AEW World Championship opportunity while becoming increasingly frustrated with Don Callis. He feels like a major player waiting for the right opening.
Grade: B+
What worked: The match became increasingly competitive, Cassidy’s creativity remained entertaining and Andrade gained another important win.
What didn’t: The Lio Rush involvement was amusing but distracting. The larger direction needs to become clearer.
Will Ospreay And Alex Windsor Share A Quiet Moment
A video from last week showed Will Ospreay reflecting on his victory over Mark Davis and his path toward Wembley Stadium. Alex Windsor entered the frame after losing to Mercedes Moné and collapsed into her husband’s arms while crying.
Ospreay pushed the camera away to protect the moment.
This was a small segment, but it made Ospreay feel human without turning the scene into melodrama. He remains focused on reaching the Owen Cup final and eventually challenging for the AEW World Championship at All In. However, the tournament is carrying an emotional weight beyond wins and losses.
Grade: B
What worked: The moment felt sincere and added another layer to Ospreay’s pursuit of the championship.
What didn’t: The segment was brief enough that it may be forgotten unless AEW follows up meaningfully.
Thekla Declares War On STARDOM
AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla received a video package exploring her toxic history with STARDOM. Thekla made her intentions clear: she does not want reconciliation. She wants to close the door on her former promotion.
Forbidden Door matches work best when the story extends beyond novelty. Thekla’s history gives AEW a natural way to build a women’s championship program with an international opponent while keeping the champion’s character at the center of the story.
Grade: B
What worked: The video gave Thekla a personal reason to target STARDOM.
What didn’t: AEW now needs to reveal the opponent and move the story beyond a video package.
The Death Riders Challenge Shane Taylor Promotions To A Street Fight
Moxley, Shafir and Garcia responded to the earlier attack by challenging Shane Taylor Promotions to a five-on-five Cincinnati Street Fight for Collision: Summer Blockbuster.
The challenge made sense. A standard wrestling match would not fit the escalation. STP wants to prove it can outfight the Death Riders. The Death Riders are not interested in waiting for another ambush.
Collision now has a natural action-movie sequel fight: more bodies, more weapons and fewer rules.
Grade: B+
What worked: The stipulation matched the rivalry and gave Collision an immediate hook.
What didn’t: The final participants still need to be clearly established.
Maya World Defeats Skye Blue In An Emotional Owen Cup Upset
Maya World stepped into an incredibly difficult position after Sareee was not medically cleared to compete. World was also wrestling after the unexpected loss of her younger brother.
Skye Blue treated World like a late replacement who had wandered into a fight she was not prepared to survive. Blue attacked with sharp kicks, a high-angle Liger Bomb, a running knee and a fireman’s-carry cutter. Each near-fall made it seem more likely that World’s emotional night would end with a respectable loss.
World refused to let that happen.
She absorbed Blue’s offense, created openings with German suplexes and survived long enough to counter Code Blue into a jackknife pin for the upset victory.
The result worked because AEW did not overproduce the emotion. World was not handed an easy win. She had to fight for every opening against an opponent who came dangerously close to beating her.
World now advances to face ROH Women’s World Champion Athena in the semifinals.
Grade: A-
What worked: The match had genuine emotion, Blue looked strong in defeat and World’s victory felt earned.
What didn’t: Sareee’s absence was disappointing, but AEW turned an unfortunate situation into one of the most memorable moments of the show.
Zack Sabre Jr. Challenges Kenny Omega At Forbidden Door
Zack Sabre Jr. appeared in a video package and challenged Kenny Omega to a match at Forbidden Door. Sabre questioned whether Omega is still one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation or whether time has finally caught up with him.
The match was later made official.
Omega versus Sabre is exactly the kind of match Forbidden Door should deliver. It is not a random pairing designed solely to fill out a card. Sabre wants to dissect Omega and answer a question that follows every aging great: are you still who everyone believes you are?
Omega will first face Sabre’s TMDK teammate Bad Dude Tito on Collision: Summer Blockbuster.
Grade: A-
What worked: The challenge was simple, direct and built around a compelling question.
What didn’t: Nothing. AEW avoided overcomplicating an obvious dream match.
MJF Buys The Don Callis Family As Kevin Knight Makes A Deal
MJF approached Don Callis backstage after learning about the steel cage match at Forbidden Door. Callis initially resisted the idea of allowing MJF to use members of the Don Callis Family until the AEW World Champion produced a briefcase full of money.
Callis immediately reconsidered.
Kevin Knight volunteered to join Team MJF under one condition: he wants an AEW World Championship opportunity after Forbidden Door. MJF agreed but warned Knight that there will be no rematch after he loses.
Andrade watched the entire situation unfold while becoming increasingly frustrated with Callis.
The segment was effective because everyone involved had a clear motivation. MJF needs bodies. Callis wants money. Knight wants the championship. Andrade wants the opportunity he believes he was promised.
This alliance is not built to last. That is precisely why it works.
Grade: B+
What worked: The arrangement advanced multiple stories at once and reinforced MJF’s belief that everyone has a price.
What didn’t: AEW needs to carefully manage the number of wrestlers circling the world championship picture.
Swerve Strickland Defeats Brody King To Reach The Owen Cup Final
Swerve Strickland and Brody King closed Summer Blockbuster with a main event that felt like the final fight scene before the credits.
King overwhelmed Swerve early with his size, strikes and physicality. He launched himself off the ramp with a cannonball, threw Swerve into the barricade and treated every exchange like an opportunity to cause damage rather than simply win a wrestling match.
Swerve responded with speed, precision and a willingness to take shortcuts. He drove King into an exposed turnbuckle, connected with multiple House Calls and continued attacking even after King’s forehead was split open.
King still would not stay down.
He survived a top-rope House Call, hit a diving Death Valley Driver into the corner, crushed Swerve with a cannonball and followed with a piledriver for a dramatic near-fall. The crowd believed King might actually reach the final.
Prince Nana changed the ending.
King grabbed Nana in a choke after another distraction, but the momentary delay created the opening Swerve needed. When referee Aubrey Edwards moved out of position, Nana struck King with the ring bell. Swerve capitalized with the Vertebreaker for the victory.
Swerve will face Will Ospreay in the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final at Forbidden Door. The winner receives a future AEW World Championship opportunity.
The result was predictable because Swerve versus Ospreay is the bigger match. The execution still mattered. King looked like a monster who nearly fought through everything. Swerve looked like a man willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim his position at the top of AEW.
That makes the final significantly more interesting.
Grade: A
What worked: The match felt violent, urgent and important. King looked excellent in defeat, while Swerve’s questionable victory added tension to the Ospreay final.
What didn’t: Nana’s interference was necessary for the story, but Swerve’s shortcuts are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Best Match & Segment Of The Night
Best Match: Swerve Strickland vs. Brody King
Mark Briscoe and PAC delivered a cleaner match, but the main event felt larger. King’s blood, the exposed turnbuckle, the top-rope House Call, the piledriver near-fall and Nana’s interference gave the match a sense of danger that carried through the closing moments.
Swerve advanced, but King left Cincinnati looking stronger than he did before the bell rang.
Best Segment: Mark Briscoe Forces MJF Into A Six-On-Six Steel Cage Match
Briscoe’s pursuit of MJF finally gained a destination. The AEW World Champion cannot simply dismiss him anymore. At Forbidden Door, MJF must enter a steel cage with five partners and survive Briscoe’s team.
The stipulation fits both men. Briscoe wants a fight. MJF wants control. The cage removes the illusion that the champion can control every variable with money and insults.
Here Is Everything Announced For AEW Collision: Summer Blockbuster
- Kenny Omega vs. Bad Dude Tito.
- The Young Bucks vs. The Dogs.
- The Death Riders vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Cincinnati Street Fight)
- CMLL World Women’s Champion Persephone vs. Julia Hart (TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest qualifying match)
Final Thoughts
The screen fades to black after Swerve Strickland raises his arms on the stage while Brody King is left bloodied in the ring.
The credits begin to roll.
Jon Moxley is somewhere backstage trying to pull himself back together after Shane Taylor Promotions left the Death Riders in ruins. Mark Briscoe has forced MJF into a steel cage and made the AEW World Champion search for hired guns. Darby Allin has returned with a skateboard and revenge on his mind. Andrade El Ídolo is beginning to realize that Don Callis may have made too many promises to too many people. Maya World has survived the first chapter of an emotional tournament run. Kenny Omega has received a message from Zack Sabre Jr.
Then the music cuts.
A final scene appears.
Moxley looks into the camera with the scars of Wednesday night’s fight written across his face. Shane Taylor Promotions has already made its statement. The Death Riders answer with a street fight. Kenny Omega has Bad Dude Tito waiting for him. The Young Bucks still have unfinished business with The Dogs. Julia Hart and Persephone are fighting for survival.
Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster was not the entire movie.
It was the opening act.
Collision: Summer Blockbuster is the sequel.
Overall Grade: B+
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!