This Wednesday, AEW Dynamite cements its place in history. Dynamite will become the longest-running prime-time weekly professional wrestling show in Turner Sports history. In many respects, this special is both a celebration and a giant middle finger to the various high-profile prophets of doom who continue to say AEW is failing.
Beyond overtaking WCW Nitro and running an eye-catching show during WrestleMania week, AEW will prove conventional wrestling wisdom wrong by putting PPV matches on free TV. For a deeper look at the historical importance of Spring BreakThru, check out Corey Michael’s article on the significance of this milestone.
With a stacked 5-match card, there’s the potential for more than a set of belts changing hands. With PAC’s injury, Jon Moxley steps in to face The Opps. We could have the perfect setup for two things.
First, crowning new trios champions. Second, Samoa Joe vs. Jon Moxley.
Who’s this year’s wild card? Josh Alexander? Perhaps The Scapegoat Jack Perry returns?
After last week’s events with The Young Bucks, is it clear-cut that Page advances? There will be more developments outside of the matches. Pop!
AEW Dynamite Matches Announced:
- AEW World Trios Championship: Death Riders vs. The Opps
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Gates of Agony
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quarter Finals: Hangman Adam Page vs. The Wild Card
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semi-Finals: Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semi-Finals: TBS Champion, Mercedes Mone vs. ROH Women’s World Champion, Athena
Ospreay vs. Takeshita
A monumental rematch where the stakes could not be higher and personal. The winner advances to the finals of the Owen Hart Cup Tournament at Double or Nothing and may go on to get an AEW World Championship shot at All In Texas. However, this is a battle between men who need to prove themselves as the industry’s future.
Last March at Revolution, Konosuke Takeshita and Will Ospreay fought for almost 22 minutes as stablemates in an exhibition. Then they were (uneasily) aligned. Now there are no respectful perimeters.
The Alpha, after taking the scalp of NJPW President and legend Hiroshi Tanahashi at Windy City Riot, isn’t going to settle for a runner-up position. Ospreay took the win in the first match. Then, at WrestleDream, Takeshita took Ospreay’s International Championship in a three-way.
In the past, when these men have fought alongside or against each other, the five-star scale has been nearly maxed out or broken. And if, like me, you don’t care about ratings but how you feel, each match has felt sublime and transcendental.
Dream Match: Mone vs. Athena
Many expected this match to go down in Texas. AEW once again goes against the grain and, in doing so, hints that this could be a dream series rather than just a dream match.
The stakes are the Owen Hart Cup Tournament and an AEW World Women’s Championship opportunity. What’s not on the line are the various championship belts each woman holds. But that’s looking ahead, something AEW booking at its best makes you do – speculate beyond the next show.
Boston is the city where Big Business saw the debut of The CEO. This could be the TV classic many have wanted Mone to have. Since her debut last year, Mone has found her form and character.
Similarly, The Fallen Goddess also went through a transition period after debuting in AEW. On ROH, Athena is the forever world champion for a reason.
Hopes are high for both women to deliver and take AEW’s women’s evolution to the next level. Again, it’s more than this one night. It’s about setting up what’s next.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on AEW Dynamite preview and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube.
