AEW Dynamite July 22, 2026 Results & Recap: Kevin Knight Bloodies Kenny Omega, Brodido Defeats ProtOkada

AEW entered Nashville for the final Dynamite before Redemption with one clear responsibility: make Sunday’s pay-per-view feel necessary.

That was easier said than done. Kenny Omega’s AEW World Championship defense against Kevin Knight remains difficult to believe because Omega is already scheduled to face Will Ospreay at All In. Several Redemption matches were only confirmed during the past two weeks, while much of the card still feels like a collection of strong matches placed between Forbidden Door and Wembley Stadium.

Wednesday night’s Dynamite did not completely solve those problems, but it was a stronger and more focused show than last week. Kevin Knight retained the TNT Championship against Darby Allin before leaving Omega bloodied. Brodido defeated Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada after the Don Callis Family’s growing tension finally cost them a match. Thekla and Willow Nightingale delivered the emotional confrontation their Women’s World Championship program desperately needed, while Divine Dominion and Sisters of Sin produced a violent championship fight.

The episode worked best when AEW trusted clear motivations and personal conflict. It struggled whenever another segment became overcrowded with attacks, saves and faction interference.

Here Are the Full Results

• Kevin Knight (c) defeated Darby Allin (TNT Championship)
• Brodido defeated AEW International Champion Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada
• Jay White defeated Clark Connors
• Divine Dominion (c) defeated Sisters of Sin (AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship No Disqualification Match)
• Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley defeated Brian Cage, Hechicero and Jake Doyle

Breakdowns & Reactions

Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley Attempt to Ignore the Obvious

Dynamite opened backstage with Will Ospreay finding Kenny Omega before their first-time partnership with Jon Moxley.

Ospreay attempted to lighten the mood by reminding Omega that they had never lost when teaming together. Omega returned the joke by warning Ospreay that he also had an important match at Redemption and should not be afraid to ask for help.

Moxley then walked into the room, declared there was no tension and immediately made the room considerably more uncomfortable.

The brief interaction established everything the main event needed. Omega and Ospreay remain friendly, but their AEW World Championship match is waiting at All In. Ospreay has aligned himself with Moxley, but Omega understandably does not trust the man who has spent months teaching Ospreay to become more violent.

Ospreay remains caught between the wrestler he admires and the wrestler preparing him to stop admiring anyone.

Grade: B

What Worked

• The segment established the main-event tension without becoming unnecessarily long.
• Ospreay’s position between Omega and Moxley remained clear.

What Didn’t Work

• The partnership still felt created primarily to place several major names in one match.
• Moxley and Omega’s distrust deserved more development before the bell.

Kevin Knight vs. Darby Allin — AEW TNT Championship

Darby Allin refused to wait for the opening bell.

He attacked Knight during the entrance, took the fight through the crowd and delivered a Spanish Fly over the barricade. Darby then dove from the ring post, sending both men crashing through the timekeeper’s area.

Once the match officially began, Knight used Darby’s recklessness against him. He sent Darby groin-first across the barricade, knocked him onto the floor and catapulted him face-first into the steel steps.

Darby answered with two Code Reds before attacking Knight’s arm against the ring post. A Coffin Drop to the floor gave Darby another opening, but the match eventually turned when Knight sent him into referee Paul Turner.

Knight grabbed the TNT Championship and attempted to use it. Darby avoided the strike and delivered the Scorpion Death Drop. Darby then picked up the championship but refused to hit Knight with it.

That decision separated the two men.

Darby wanted revenge, but he still wanted to beat Knight without becoming him. Knight had no such hesitation. He struck Darby with the championship, delivered the Coast-to-Coast dropkick and finished him with the UFO Splash.

The physicality matched their history. Darby wrestled like someone who wanted to hurt Knight more than he wanted to protect himself. Knight wrestled like someone desperate to prove his betrayal had been worth it.

The finish was the problem. Knight is challenging Omega for the AEW World Championship on Sunday. This was the moment to give him a decisive victory over a former world champion and establish that he could succeed without Don Callis.

Instead, Knight required a referee bump and a championship belt.

AEW protected Darby, but it did so at the expense of the challenger who needed credibility more urgently.

Grade: B+

What Worked

• The opening attack immediately made the match feel personal.
• Darby refusing to use the championship strengthened his character.
• Knight’s Coast-to-Coast and UFO Splash created a convincing final sequence.

What Didn’t Work

• Knight needed another heavily protected victory before challenging Omega.
• The referee bump weakened what should have been a defining championship defense.
• Darby’s dangerous physical risks again came uncomfortably close to overshadowing the wrestling.

Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher Compete for Don Callis’ Attention

The Don Callis Family joined Knight after his victory to promote its championship matches at Redemption.

Mark Davis dismissed Andrade El Idolo before Knight promised to become “Jet Two Belts” by defeating Omega. Knight also claimed he had passed Fletcher’s TNT Championship defense record and emphasized that he retained without help from the Family.

Fletcher immediately recognized the insult.

Knight was no longer simply celebrating his success. He was establishing himself as Fletcher’s equal and possibly his replacement as the future of the group.

Fletcher responded by saying he also did not need assistance. He promised to have the Don Callis Family banned from ringside for his match against Bandido and ordered everyone to leave before his upcoming tag-team match.

This is where the Don Callis Family becomes more interesting. Callis has assembled too many ambitious champions and former champions to maintain control forever. Every member wants the Family’s resources, but none of them wants to accept a secondary position.

Knight and Fletcher did not need to fight. A comparison of their accomplishments created enough hostility.

Grade: B+

What Worked

• Knight’s growing ego finally created consequences inside the Family.
• Fletcher’s insecurity came through without making him appear weak.
• The segment advanced three Redemption championship matches at once.

What Didn’t Work

• Knight claiming complete independence felt hollow after cheating to defeat Darby.
• Mark Davis and Andrade’s championship program received limited attention.

Brodido vs. Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada

Bandido and Fletcher opened by previewing their AEW International Championship match at Redemption.

Bandido used his speed to force Fletcher into reacting before Brody King entered and changed the physical tone. Brodido worked like an established team, combining Bandido’s movement with King’s power rather than simply taking turns performing offense.

Okada and Fletcher briefly controlled Bandido, but their partnership never felt stable. Fletcher repeatedly attempted to gain Okada’s approval, while Okada carried himself like someone temporarily tolerating an overeager partner.

King’s eventual tag brought the match back to life. He ran through Fletcher and Okada, delivered a Boss Man Slam and created an opening for Bandido to return.

Bandido and Fletcher produced the strongest exchanges. Fletcher countered the 21-Plex, Bandido survived Fletcher’s power and Brodido repeatedly came within seconds of winning.

The finish finally exposed the weakness inside ProtOkada.

Okada attempted the Rainmaker, Bandido moved and Fletcher absorbed the strike. King removed Okada from the ring before Bandido delivered the 21-Plex to Fletcher for the victory.

Bandido pinned the champion he will challenge on Sunday, but Fletcher was protected by Okada’s mistake. More importantly, Okada barely appeared concerned about what he had done. His apology only arrived after Fletcher became angry, making the accident look increasingly suspicious.

This was the best match of the show because every moving part mattered. Brodido gained a meaningful victory. Bandido established that he can defeat Fletcher. Okada and Fletcher moved closer to collapsing, and no outside interference was required to create the result.

Grade: A

What Worked

• Brodido’s chemistry made every double-team sequence feel natural.
• Bandido pinning Fletcher created necessary momentum for Redemption.
• Okada’s Rainmaker advanced the Don Callis Family’s internal problems.
• The match balanced athleticism, power and character development.

What Didn’t Work

• Okada spent long stretches standing on the apron while Fletcher carried the workload.
• The quality was strong enough to make the actual Redemption match feel less special by comparison.

Andrade El Idolo Prevents Another Don Callis Family Attack

Fletcher confronted Okada after the match, but the disagreement was interrupted when the Don Callis Family surrounded Brodido.

Andrade El Idolo arrived wearing the Dynamite Diamond Ring and forced the Family to retreat.

The moment efficiently continued Andrade’s rivalry with National Champion Mark Davis. Andrade did not need another long explanation. His presence and the Diamond Ring were enough to prevent Davis and the Family from escalating the attack.

The larger problem was familiarity. Another match ended with a group surrounding the winners before someone ran out to make the save.

AEW had already accomplished enough with the finish. Bandido pinned Fletcher, Okada’s mistake created tension and Brodido earned the victory. The attempted attack added activity without adding much substance.

Grade: B-

What Worked

• Andrade looked credible enough to force the entire group into retreat.
• The Diamond Ring continued functioning as a useful equalizer.
• The National Championship match received a needed reminder.

What Didn’t Work

• AEW returned to another predictable post-match attack and save.
• Brodido’s victory did not receive enough room to breathe.

The Painmaker Returns Through Another Dramatic Video Package

AEW aired a video package promoting The Painmaker Chris Jericho against Tommaso Ciampa in a No Holds Barred match at Redemption.

The presentation attempted to make The Painmaker feel like a dangerous transformation rather than Jericho wearing darker face paint.

The problem is that the character has received more intensity through production than through actual storytelling. The video package looked strong, but Redemption must provide the violence the presentation keeps promising.

A dramatic entrance and carefully edited footage cannot carry the entire rivalry.

Grade: C+

What Worked

• The video gave Jericho and Ciampa’s match a darker atmosphere.
• The No Holds Barred stipulation was clearly emphasized.

What Didn’t Work

• The segment added presentation rather than new story development.
• The Painmaker character still feels more theatrical than threatening.
• The feud continues depending on Sunday’s match to justify its buildup.

Thekla and Willow Nightingale Finally Make Their Rivalry Personal

Mick Foley moderated the face-to-face confrontation between AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla and Willow Nightingale.

Willow discussed returning from her shoulder injury, winning the Casino Gauntlet and moving one victory away from achieving her goal of becoming AEW Women’s World Champion.

Thekla did not question Willow’s ability. She questioned her identity.

She accused Willow of using positivity as a mask to hide anger, resentment and poison. Thekla promised to beat that poison out of her at Redemption and reveal the darkness underneath the smile.

Willow did not deny experiencing pain or anger. She attacked Thekla’s insecurity instead.

She said Thekla speaks loudly because she feels small. The swagger and toxic persona had carried Thekla to two championships, but Willow only cared about one. Thekla was not Willow’s final destination. She was a shortcut to the title Willow had always wanted.

That line gave Willow the edge her character occasionally lacks. She did not present herself as a grateful challenger. She treated the champion as an obstacle.

Foley compared Willow’s willingness to smile through punishment with his own career. Thekla disrespected him, leading Willow to warn that her positivity should never be mistaken for an unwillingness to become violent.

Thekla eventually struck Willow and attempted to use her belt, but Willow stopped her and stood tall.

This was the strongest segment of the episode because it explained what the championship represents to both women. For Willow, it is the completion of a journey interrupted by injury. For Thekla, it validates the cruelty and insecurity she has turned into an identity.

AEW waited too long to give them this type of material, but the segment immediately made their Redemption match more important.

Grade: A

What Worked

• Thekla attacked Willow’s character rather than delivering generic insults.
• Willow exposed Thekla’s insecurity without abandoning her own personality.
• Foley added emotional context without becoming the focus.
• The physical ending gave Willow needed momentum.

What Didn’t Work

• This level of development should have happened earlier.
• Foley occasionally felt inserted into a rivalry that did not require a celebrity moderator.

Hikaru Shida and Maya World Receive Their Final Redemption Setup

A video package promoted Hikaru Shida’s TBS Championship defense against Maya World at Redemption.

AEW also announced that Shida and Thekla will face Maya and Willow on Collision.

The tag-team match is a logical final piece of pay-per-view promotion. It connects both women’s championship programs without permanently combining them.

The concern is that Maya’s rise has happened so quickly that AEW is still telling the audience she belongs in a major championship match instead of fully demonstrating it.

Saturday represents the final opportunity to make her feel like more than an available challenger.

Grade: B-

What Worked

• The package gave the TBS Championship match needed attention.
• The Collision tag match connects two Redemption programs cleanly.

What Didn’t Work

• Maya’s championship opportunity still lacks a deeply established story.
• The segment felt more like an advertisement than meaningful progression.

Jay White vs. Clark Connors

Jay White attempted to control the match through timing and manipulation, but Clark Connors repeatedly escaped to the floor and refused to allow White to settle into his rhythm.

Connors eventually speared White through the ropes and onto the entrance ramp. He continued controlling the match after the commercial break, even burning White’s shoulder with a match before charging toward him near a steel chair.

White moved, sending Connors into the chair.

White gradually began finding his familiar counter-wrestling rhythm. He delivered a DDT and uranage before allowing Connors to attempt another Spear. White caught him in a standing triangle and forced the submission.

The match told the correct story. White was not immediately presented as the same wrestler he had been before his extended absence. He had to survive Connors’ physicality, regain his timing and create one opening.

David Finlay attacked White with the shillelagh afterward before the Bang Bang Gang ran out.

White’s performance was solid without being spectacular. His personality and instincts remain intact, but he still appeared to be rediscovering the pace and sharpness that previously separated him from most of AEW’s roster.

Grade: B

What Worked

• White won through intelligence rather than overwhelming offense.
• Connors remained dangerous despite losing.
• The finish directly used Connors’ dependence on the Spear against him.
• Finlay’s attack continued the rivalry without erasing White’s victory.

What Didn’t Work

• Portions of the match felt slower and less crisp than expected.
• Another post-match attack followed an already familiar formula.
• White and Finlay’s larger singles match still feels unnecessarily delayed.

PAC and Claudio Castagnoli Attack Cope and Christian Cage

PAC and Claudio Castagnoli attacked AEW World Tag Team Champions Cope and Christian Cage backstage.

The challengers used road cases and the surrounding equipment before PAC drove Cope onto one of the cases. PAC then warned that the champions had underestimated the Death Riders.

The attack gave the challengers a final visual advantage before Redemption, but it also exposed how quickly the championship match was assembled.

Cope and Christian against PAC and Claudio should feel important based on the names involved. Instead, the rivalry has largely consisted of faction attacks, challenges and retaliations.

The wrestling should be excellent. The story remains thinner than the talent involved.

Grade: B-

What Worked

• PAC and Claudio looked physically dangerous.
• The backstage environment made the attack feel less staged than another ringside brawl.
• The challengers received final momentum before Redemption.

What Didn’t Work

• The championship rivalry still lacks emotional depth.
• Cope and Christian were barely given an opportunity to speak.
• The segment repeated the show’s dependence on surprise attacks.

Divine Dominion vs. Sisters of Sin — No Disqualification AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Match

Sisters of Sin attacked Megan Bayne and Lena Kross with kendo sticks before the champions completed their entrance.

Julia Hart and Skye Blue understood that a traditional match favored Divine Dominion. They immediately introduced tables, chairs and weapons to prevent Bayne and Kross from controlling the fight through size alone.

The strategy worked early. Hart trapped Kross in the Tarantula while Blue attacked with a kendo stick. Hart later attempted a rope-walking hurricanrana, but Kross caught her and sent her face-first into a chair positioned in the corner.

Divine Dominion then took control and used the weapons with considerably more force. Blue was busted open before Bayne threw a chair onto her while another chair was positioned underneath her.

Sisters of Sin recovered by powerbombing Bayne through a table on the entrance ramp. With Bayne temporarily removed, they isolated Kross and came close to winning after several strikes and double-team attacks.

Bayne eventually returned and chokeslammed Blue through the table at ringside. Hart trapped Bayne in the Octopus hold, but Bayne powered her into a Tombstone before Divine Dominion delivered its double-team finish.

This was the best defense of Divine Dominion’s reign.

Sisters of Sin wrestled like challengers who had developed a strategy rather than two smaller opponents waiting to be overpowered. They controlled the stipulation, removed Bayne from the match and repeatedly forced Kross to survive alone.

The violence gave the championship meaning, although some of the chair contact looked unnecessarily reckless. A No Disqualification match can feel dangerous without placing weapons near someone’s head.

Divine Dominion retained, but AEW must eventually establish a destination for the reign. Dominance becomes repetitive when no team appears capable of threatening it.

Grade: A-

What Worked

• Sisters of Sin used the stipulation to neutralize the champions’ size.
• Blue’s bleeding and table bump gave the match physical consequences.
• Divine Dominion looked vulnerable without losing its dominance.
• The crowd remained invested despite both teams operating as heels.

What Didn’t Work

• Some of the chair contact looked more reckless than dramatic.
• The champions’ next serious challengers remain unclear.
• The match occasionally became too dependent on weapons rather than team wrestling.

Bang Bang Gang Challenges The Dogs to a Double Chain Match

Juice Robinson challenged David Finlay and Clark Connors to face the Bang Bang Gang in a Double Chain Tag Team match at Redemption.

Jay White promised to give The Dogs the beating their fathers should have given them.

The stipulation fits the rivalry because Finlay and Connors have repeatedly escaped whenever the Bang Bang Gang gained control. Connecting both teams by chains would prevent another retreat.

The challenge also added another possible match four days before a pay-per-view that already feels assembled at the last minute.

The rivalry deserves a conclusion. AEW simply waited too long to establish where that conclusion would happen.

Grade: B

What Worked

• The stipulation logically prevents The Dogs from escaping.
• White’s final line gave the challenge personality.
• The rivalry finally received a possible payoff.

What Didn’t Work

• The match was challenged for only four days before Redemption.
• The pay-per-view card already feels crowded.
• AEW did not immediately confirm whether the match was official.

Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley vs. Brian Cage, Hechicero and Jake Doyle

Will Ospreay and Hechicero began with technical exchanges before Omega and Moxley entered through rapid tags.

The makeshift trio initially worked well while targeting Hechicero’s arm, but the tension returned whenever Omega and Moxley were expected to tag one another.

Ospreay repeatedly attempted to keep the team together while Brian Cage and Jake Doyle used their power to take control. Cage caught Omega and Ospreay with a double suplex, while Doyle isolated Moxley and prevented the star-filled team from building momentum.

The most revealing moment came when Ospreay had to choose between tagging Omega or Moxley. He selected Omega. Moxley immediately stepped off the apron.

The three men eventually found a brief rhythm. Moxley interrupted Hechicero’s submissions, Ospreay used his speed and Omega created openings through his explosive offense.

That cooperation nearly ended when Omega accidentally struck Moxley with the V-Trigger.

The Don Callis Family attempted to capitalize, but Moxley recovered and prevented Hechicero from completing a larger attack. Omega and Ospreay then combined the V-Trigger and Hidden Blade to secure the victory.

The wrestling was good, but the story carried the match. Ospreay remains trapped between Omega and Moxley. Omega represents the standard Ospreay wants to surpass. Moxley represents the violent mentality he may need to surpass him.

The problem was that the Don Callis Family rarely appeared capable of winning. Cage, Hechicero and Doyle controlled stretches, but they were clearly positioned as opponents serving the conflict between the three stars.

Grade: B

What Worked

• Ospreay choosing Omega over Moxley created a strong character moment.
• Omega’s accidental V-Trigger advanced the distrust inside the team.
• Cage and Doyle added believable power to the opposition.
• The V-Trigger and Hidden Blade combination produced a fitting finish.

What Didn’t Work

• The Don Callis Family never felt like a serious threat to win.
• The match existed mainly to create friction between the victorious partners.
• Several sequences felt arranged around storyline cues rather than natural competition.

Kevin Knight Leaves Kenny Omega Bloodied Before Redemption

Omega attempted to confront Moxley after the match, but Ospreay again tried to keep them separated.

The Young Bucks then attacked Moxley and Ospreay. Roppongi Vice attempted to ambush Omega, but Omega fought off Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero.

Knight entered before Omega could finish the fight and struck him with the TNT Championship.

Knight stood above a bloodied Omega while holding both the TNT Championship and AEW World Championship.

The final image was necessary.

Knight has almost no believable chance of winning on Sunday because Omega is already scheduled to defend against Ospreay at All In. AEW therefore needed to give Knight the strongest visual possible before Redemption.

Standing over Omega with both championships did not make the result unpredictable, but it prevented Knight from entering the pay-per-view looking like a challenger who had already lost.

The problem was everything surrounding the moment. Omega and Moxley’s confrontation, Ospreay’s divided loyalty, the Young Bucks, Roppongi Vice and Knight all competed for attention.

AEW tried to promote several Redemption matches through one closing scene. Knight ultimately received the final image, but the route toward it was crowded.

Grade: B+

What Worked

• Knight received the strongest visual of his AEW run.
• Omega bleeding made the championship attack feel consequential.
• Both championships clearly represented Knight’s goal of becoming “Jet Two Belts.”
• The ending gave Redemption a memorable final image.

What Didn’t Work

• Too many wrestlers and rivalries competed for attention.
• The Young Bucks and Roppongi Vice cluttered Knight’s defining moment.
• The angle still could not create genuine suspense around Sunday’s result.

What Worked

• Brodido and ProtOkada delivered the best complete match of the episode.
• Bandido pinned Kyle Fletcher before their International Championship match.
• Kevin Knight and Fletcher’s egos created believable tension inside the Don Callis Family.
• Thekla and Willow Nightingale finally established a personal foundation for their title match.
• Divine Dominion and Sisters of Sin treated the Women’s World Tag Team Championship like an important prize.
• Jay White continued rebuilding momentum without immediately being presented as completely recovered.
• Ospreay’s divided loyalty between Omega and Moxley remained compelling.
• Knight standing over a bloodied Omega gave Redemption a strong final image.

What Didn’t Work

• Knight needed another referee bump and championship belt to defeat Darby.
• Several segments ended with another attack, attempted beatdown or save.
• The Painmaker received more dramatic presentation than actual story development.
• Cope and Christian Cage against PAC and Claudio remains underdeveloped.
• The potential Double Chain match was introduced only four days before the pay-per-view.
• Some of the chair contact during the Women’s Tag Team Championship match looked unnecessarily dangerous.
• The main-event aftermath attempted to promote too many rivalries simultaneously.
• AEW created more activity around Redemption without making every match feel essential.

Wednesday night’s strongest praise should center on Brodido against ProtOkada, Thekla and Willow’s confrontation and the Women’s World Tag Team Championship match. The most obvious criticism remains AEW’s dependence on crowded faction attacks and last-minute pay-per-view development.

This was a good go-home show containing several strong individual pieces. It was not a completely cohesive one.

Best Match and Segment of the Night

Best Match: Brodido vs. Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada

Nothing else combined wrestling and storyline advancement as effectively.

Brodido looked like the better team, Bandido pinned Fletcher, and Okada’s Rainmaker pushed the Don Callis Family closer to collapsing. Every important moment had consequences beyond the match itself.

Best Segment: Thekla and Willow Nightingale’s Face-to-Face

Thekla and Willow finally explained why their championship match matters.

Thekla attacked Willow’s optimism. Willow exposed Thekla’s insecurity. Mick Foley added emotional context, and the physical ending gave the challenger momentum without making Thekla appear weak.

It was personal, focused and considerably more effective than another large brawl.

Announced for This Saturday’s AEW Collision

• AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla and TBS Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Willow Nightingale and Maya World.

Current AEW Redemption Card

AEW Redemption takes place Sunday, July 26, from the Bell Centre in Montreal.

• Kenny Omega (c) vs. Kevin Knight (AEW World Championship)
• Thekla (c) vs. Willow Nightingale (AEW Women’s World Championship)
• Cope and Christian Cage (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli and PAC (AEW World Tag Team Championship)
• Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Bandido (AEW International Championship)
• Mark Davis (c) vs. Andrade El Idolo (AEW National Championship)
• Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Maya World (TBS Championship)
• Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay vs. The Young Bucks.
• The Painmaker Chris Jericho vs. Tommaso Ciampa (No Holds Barred match)
• Celebration of the Rougeau wrestling dynasty (Redemption Buy-In)

The Bang Bang Gang also challenged The Dogs to a Double Chain Tag Team match, but the match had not been officially added to the card by the end of Dynamite.

Current AEW All In Card

AEW All In takes place Sunday, August 30, at Wembley Stadium in London.

• Kenny Omega (c) vs. Will Ospreay (AEW World Championship)
• Thekla or Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné (AEW Women’s World Championship)

Final Thoughts

Wednesday night’s Dynamite was a considerably better wrestling show than last week, but its success as a final advertisement for Redemption was more complicated.

Brodido against ProtOkada, Knight against Darby and the Women’s World Tag Team Championship match delivered enough in-ring quality to keep the episode moving. Thekla and Willow produced the emotional confrontation Redemption had been missing. Knight finally looked like someone capable of hurting Omega instead of someone simply receiving a world championship opportunity everyone knows he is unlikely to win.

The episode also exposed why Redemption has struggled to feel essential.

AEW has filled the card with talented wrestlers and potentially excellent matches, but several programs were established late or developed through variations of the same attack-and-save formula. More wrestlers entering the frame did not always create more urgency. Sometimes it only made the show feel less organized.

Omega against Knight has a clear character story but almost no suspense. Omega believes Knight can still escape Don Callis because Omega once escaped him. Knight believes defeating Omega will validate every selfish decision he has made. That is useful material, but the announced All In match continues hanging over Sunday’s result.

Thekla against Willow now feels like the most emotionally important match on the card. Fletcher against Bandido may be the best pure wrestling match. Andrade against Davis has been built efficiently, while Ospreay and Moxley against the Young Bucks remains more important to the All In story than Redemption itself.

That describes the pay-per-view as a whole.

Redemption should contain excellent wrestling. It still feels like a bridge between Forbidden Door and All In rather than an event with its own identity.

Dynamite made Sunday’s card feel stronger.

It did not completely make it feel necessary.

Overall Grade: B

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