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AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
APRIL 2, 2025
PEORIA, ILL. AT THE PEORIA CIVIC CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TBS & MAX
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Attendance: WrestleTix reports that 2,511 tickets had been distributed as of showtime; the venue was set up for around 2,824 seats. The arena has a capacity of 12,036 spectators when configured for concerts.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
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LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER AEW DYNAMITE TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
[HOUR ONE]
-They cut right to the interior of the arena as pyro blasted on the stage and Excalibur introduced the show.
(1) JON MOXLEY & MARINA SHAFIR vs. SWERVE STRICKLAND & WILLOW NIGHTINGALE – Tornado Tag match
They cut backstage to Moxley and Shafir walking the back hall and then into the arena bowl. They cut to the announcers who said the Death Riders attacked Jay White earlier and the beating was severe enough to rule him out of the Owen Hart Tournament. Taz said it is a shame. Excalibur said the brackets were reset and will be revealed later. Willow walked out onto the stage. Prince Nana danced out with Swerve. Mox met Swerve at ringside and they began brawling. Willow and Shafir then battled elsewhere at ringside. Taz explained there would be no tags. Willow slapped hands with fans in the front row. Shafir then went after her with knee strikes. Willow reverse-whipped Shafir into the ringside barricade.
Mox and Shafir set up a table at ringside. Swerve tried to drop Mox on the table, but Mox broke free. The bell rang when Shafir and Willow entered the ring 6 minutes into the hour. Swerve held Mox in place for a Willow dropkick off the second rope. Willow clothesliend Mox in the corner, then whipped Swerve at Mox in the corner. Swerve followed with a flying elbow to the back of Mox.
Mox set up a Paradigm Shift on Willow. Swerve then lifted Shafir for a slam and looked at Mox, indicating basically “let Willow go or I’ll take out Shafir.” Shafir yelled, “Do it!” Mox let go of Willow to go after Swerve. Shafir lifted Willow on the edge of the ring apron and dropped her hard onto the table below. They cut to a double-box break 5:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, Mox and Shafir set up a top rope move on Swerve, but Willow ran in and powerbombed all of them, which meant Swerve got superplexed while Mox and Shafir had to act like their landing with Willow initiating the move for some reason hurt a lot worse than their original plan to basically do the same thing. Willow landed a cannonball on Mox a minute later. Swerve then leaped onto Mox at ringside. Willow landed a spinebuster on Shafir for a two count at 10:00. Mox threw Willow to the floor. Swerve went back after Mox. Mox countered and took Swerve to the mat with a Michinoku Driver and applied a sleeper.
Willow powerbombed Shafir onto Mox to break up the sleeper. Swerve went for a House Call on Mox, but Shafir knocked Mox out of the way and ended up taking the move instead. Willow then knocked Mox off the ring apron and knocked him through a table below (which the director COMPLETELY MISSED). Excalibur filled viewers in. Willow then landed the sitout powerbomb on Shafir for the win.
WINNER: Willow & Swerve in 13:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: The match at times felt like a mix of choreographed planned spots and wrestlers standing around wondering what to do next. Just clunky the whole way, but never boring.)
-Mox gave Willow a Paradigm Shift as she was celebrating. Swerve chased him away. Fans chanted, “Asshole!” (That’s so much better than chanting, “One more time!” Good job, Peoria.) They showed a doctor checking on Willow who was on her back selling an injury to her neck. Swerve checked on her, too.
-The announcers shifted to commenting on Dax Harwood grabbing the ref and then shoving Cash Wheeler leading to some intense words.
-Renee Paquette interviewed FTR backstage earlier in the day. Dax said he was fined $10,000, and he asked Tony Khan if he could give the money directly to the referee. He handed the check to Paul Turner and apologized. Turner said he forgave him and he knows things get heated. “This means a lot,” he said. Dax joked not to cash it until Friday. Renee then asked about them challenging The Death Riders for the Trios Titles and asked if they’ll be on the same page. Dax said they’ve been together 11 years and the bond can’t be undone by one incident. He apologized to Cash. He said he thought he was a security guard. Cash said they’ll be fine on Sunday, but added, “After Sunday, we have to talk.” Cash didn’t seem okay with Dax’s apologies based on his body language throughout the segment. [c]
-Excalibur revealed the full brackets for the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament. Excalibur said Kevin Knight replaced the injured Jay White.
- Block A: Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight and Brody King vs. Konosuke Takeshita.
- Block B: Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher and “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Wild Card
And the Women’s Tournament:
- Block A: Jamie Hayter vs. Billie Starkz and Thunder Rosa vs. Kris Statlander
- Block B: Julia Hart vs. Mercedes Moné and Harley Cameron vs. Athena
Excalibur plugged Mercedes & Harley vs. Athena & Julia Hart on Collision on Saturday.
(2) “TIMELESS” TONI STORM (w/Luther) vs. PENELOPE FORD
The bell rang 32 minutes into the hour. Ford avoided a hip attack by Storm early. Ford mocked Storm’s mannerisms and then stomped away at her. Ford half-heartedly reverse-whipped Storm into the ropes and then hit her with a big boot on the rebound. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, Ford gave Storm a handspring elbow. Storm bit Ford’s lip or tongue. Ford kneed out of it. Schiavone said he’s never seen that in a wrestling match in his life. Storm landed a Thesz Press. Taz said Thesz never bit anybody. Storm landed a hip attack and then a DDT for a near fall at 6:00.
Ford moonsaulted off the ring apron onto Storm at ringside. Back in the ring, she landed a gut-buster for a two count. Storm ducked a kick and came back with a German suplex. Ford backdropped onto Storm, but Storm came back with a Storm Zero for a three count.
As Storm celebrated, Megan Bayne walked out and eyed Storm.
WINNER: Storm in 8:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s always a bit of an adventure with Ford, but Storm managed to keep things together.)
-Renee asked Swerve for an update on Willow’s condition. Willow was in the background getting checked on by a trainer. Swerve said Mox knows Willow’s history with neck issues, so he’s now on the hunt. He said he won’t rest until he has his hands on Moxley. He vowed that by the end of the night, he’ll have his hands on Mox.
-Excalibur plugged upcoming matches on the show. [c]
-MVP and Bobby Lashley walked out. As Lashley was about to speak mid-ring. MJF’s music interrupted. He entered the ring and said MVP “looks fantastic tonight.” He said Lashley disrespected him last week. “Didn’t you, Bob?” he said. MJF said he doesn’t know him the way MVP knows him. He said he is a generational talent and he knows about him. He said he also knows about Shelton Benjamin. He said Shelton wasn’t there due to weather issues. He said Lashley has been around the block. “This is AEW and you’re standing on the block I built,” he said. He said he knows how to get to the top and stays on top. He said he can help Lashley & Shelton hang onto the tag belts. He said he knows they can help him get what is rightfully his, the AEW World Championship. MJF then said he and Hurt Syndicate aligning is “just good business.” He said everyone knows it including “these mouth-breathers in the m-m-m-midwest know it.” He said Peoria “isn’t even a real place” and never mattered.
MVP leaned in and whispered something to MJF. MJF said, “That’s fair.” MJF told Lashley, “You need MJF.” Lashley said he wanted to be really clear. He said out of respect for MVP, he won’t attack him, but he doesn’t like him or trust him “and the Hurt Syndicate damn well does not need you.” He told him to get out of his face unless he can prove otherwise. MJF said, “You want me to prove myself? Okay.” He left the ring and told the fans they stink. MVP and Lashley discussed MJF before leaving the ring.
Big Bill and Bryan Keith walked out to the “Learning Tree” theme and crossed paths with Lashley and MVP. Bill stood in front of Lashley, towering over him. MVP had a staredown with Keith. Then they both headed to the ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: A suitable “just enough, not too much” chapter in the MJF-Hurt Syndication situation. It seems MJF will try to help Lashley & Benjamin retain the tag titles at the PPV, and it’ll either work or backfire.)
(3) BRYAN KEITH & BIG BILL vs. TWO UNNAMED WRESTLERS
MVP and Lashley watched from the entry stage and Bill tossed around his smaller opponents. Bill threw an opponent into a knee delivered by Keith. He finished him with a chokeslam and stood on his chest for the three count.
WINNERS: Big Bill & Bryan Keith in 2:00.
-Afterward, Bill said on Collision they whipped Top Flight’s ass and they beat these two guys tonight. He said Sunday in Philadelphia, they’ll whoop their ass because they want a shot at their tag titles. MVP was about to speak, but Lashley covered the mic and smiled. Then they left.
[HOUR TWO]
-Renee interviewed Mercedes about facing Julia Hart backstage. She asked about the tag match on Collision against Athena & Julia Hart. Her partner Harley Cameron joined her with her Mercedes puppet. Harley said they are a new dream team. Mercedes told her to just stay out of her way on Saturday.
(4) WILL OSPREAY & “THE JET” KEVIN KNIGHT vs. BLAKE CHRISTIAN & LEE JOHNSON
Ospreay came out first. Then Knight. Excalibur said Knight trained under Buddy Wayne, the late father of Nick Wayne. Then he trained under Katsuyori Shibata in New Japan’s Los Angeles dojo. They showed a clip from Collision of Blake’s match against Hologram on Collision with interference from Johnson. The bell rang 6 minutes into the hour. Ospreay mocked Christian early. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Johnson yanked Ospreay off the ring apron and then Christian landed a corkscrew dive. Back in the ring, he landed a 450 stomp on Ospreay. Ospreay caught Johnson with a Stun Dog Millionaire. Ospreay tagged in Knight. Ospreay then leaped onto Christian at ringside. Knight landed a springboard lariat on Johnson for the three count.
WINNERS: Ospreay & Knight in 9:00.
-Schiavone stood and addressed Ospreay and Knight as they were celebrating. He said their match in the Owen Hart Cup Tournament will take place at Dynasty on Sunday.
(Keller’s Analysis: A solid athletic tag match serving to set up the Ospreay-Knight announcement afterward. Knight looks good, but his introduction consists of being told he’s a great up-and-coming athlete.)
-Samoa Joe, Hook, and Shibata stood backstage. Joe talked about starting The Ops because the battlefield was changing and he needed to bring a different arsenal as he returned to the battlefield. He said at Dynasty, they’ll be in the building and watching it all. “Please, don’t let us catch you lacking.” [c]
(5) BRODY KING vs. LANCE ARCHER (w/Don Callis)
Callis chatted with a fan dressed up like him in the front row. The bell rang 23 minutes into the hour. Callis joined in on commentary and accused the fan of mocking him. Brody took it to Archer at ringside and then threw him into the ring again. Archer claimed he couldn’t see. Callis slowed Brody’s return to the ring. Archer kicked the middle rope into Brody’s crotch. Fans chanted, “F— Don Callis.” Excalibur said fans are chanting what they’re always thinking. Archer whipped Brody into the ringside steps. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Archer took over after the break and scored a two count. Brody made another comeback. He blocked a chokeslam attempt and landed a clothesline for the win.
WINNER: Brody in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Makes sense to give Brody a TV win since he’s in the Owen Hart Cup Tournament. Having Archer lose if he’s mainly going to be in tag matches is fine, but it threatens to weaken Callis a bit to be associated with Archer if he almost never beats anyone of consequence.)
-Excalibur hyped the Dynasty line-up. [c]
(6) ADAM COPELAND vs. CLAUDIO CASTAGANOLI
Claudio attacked Copeland before the bell. The ref pulled Claudio out of the corner and checked on Copeland, then called for the bell. (That’s more like it.) The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. After five minutes of back and forth action, Copeland dove through the ropes and tackled Claudio. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” On a second attempt, Claudio caught Copeland mid-air with an uppercut. They cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Claudio settled into a mat hold during the break. Claudio climbed to the top rope. Copeland met him up there. They struggled for the advantage. Copeland leaped off the top rope with a bulldog at 10:00. Claudio came back with a giant swing leading to a two count. Claudio applied a Sharpshooter a minute later. Copeland eventually reached the ropes to force a break. With both down and slow to get up, after some silence, fans clapped for a few seconds. Claudio then powerslammed Copeland on the ring apron and then tossed him over the ringside barricade. Copeland crawled back to the ring to beat the ten count, but Claudio met him with a running lariat for a near fall.
Copeland caught a charging Claudio with a big boot. A faint “Fight Forever!” chant started. Claudio avoided a spear and landed a lift-and-drop uppercut and a Neutralizer for a near fall. Taz said Claudio was pissed off. Claudio grabbed two chairs from ringside. Taz said that’s a great way to get disqualified. The ref yanked a chair away from Claudio. Copeland gave Claudio a low blow as the ref was getting rid of the chair. Excalibur called it “the equalizer.” Copeland played to the crowd and then speared Claudio for the win. As Copeland left the ring, the announcers plugged Dynasty.
WINNER: Copeland in 17:00.
-They went backstage to Renee to get another update on Willow. Swerve said was looking for her husband. “Hangman” Adam Page came up to him and said he he won’t allow him to become World Champion again. They yelled at each other. Hangman said he deserved to have his house burned down. Swerve agreed, and Hangman looked confused and walked away.
The Death Riders attacked Swerve. Mox threw him into equipment in a back hall and glass shattered. Mox dragged him away and back to ringside. Wheeler Yuta, Pac, Claudio, Shafir, and Mox ganged up on Swerve. Yuta poured out broken glass. Yuta powerbombed Swerve onto the glass. “What the hell is wrong with these people?” asked Schiavone. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Taz said that shows how important the AEW World Title is to the Death Riders.
Swerve sat up, with the broken “glass” stuck to his back, but showing no signs of cutting him. Taz said he has a funny feeling Swerve will be ready on Sunday. Schaivone said he’ll have to be patched up by Sunday. Excalibur said Mox was rattled when Swerve stood and laughed.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch’s Brandon LeClair to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
VIP VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
https://streamyard.com/ztxp7um5qf
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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