With days to go until AEW’s Double or Nothing, this week’s final AEW Dynamite is surprisingly sparse at the time of writing. With only two matches on the card at present, and several segments designed to add further storyline developments before Sunday night. Expect some awe-inspiring graphics to drop hours before showtime.
Mark Briscoe’s word of the day could be vendition. Meaning to sell, sell, sell like Wall Street in the eighties.
The mystery of the card will aid any surprise twists or turns. For example, some folks wonder if something or someone will stop MJF from signing with The Hurt Syndicate. Cedric Alexander? Perhaps the number one contenders, Sons of Texas?
Either way, whilst most fans love this angle, there are female fans who are still alienated because of one significant misogynistic moment early on. Something AEW could easily have addressed/corrected without changing anything substantial about the characters or storyline.
We should also get a clear outline of this year’s Anarchy in the Arena. While we know it will be Team Swerve vs. a Death Riders/The Elite combo, we want to know if history will be made. Will Willow Nightingale and Marina Shafir be official participants in the match? Thus, making them the first women to compete in an AEW PPV main event.
You wanted war.
AEW Dynamite Matches Announced:
- Mina Shirakawa vs. Julia Hart. With “Timeless” Toni Storm on commentary.
- All-Star Trios: The Young Bucks and Jon Moxley vs. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Swerve Strickland
AEW Dynamite Segments Announced:
- Owen Hart Cup Tournament opponents come face to face: Mercedes Mone and Jamie Hayter face-to-face, and Hangman Page and Will Ospreay
- MJF signs contract to join The Hurt Syndicate
Owen Hart Cup Tournament Final Build
The stakes could not be higher for Sunday. Both men’s and women’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament Finals are somewhat mirror versions of each other. One competitor seeks to complete their arc of retribution or redemption. Hangman Adam Page seeks to complete his recovery from a relapse into darkness. Jamie Hayter wants to reclaim the championship from the woman who injured her.
However, opposing each is a wrestler at the top of their game. Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone are ascending and maintaining their position as the best. Each is heading to Sunday with confidence, but could it be shaken with days to go?
Page and Ospreay co-existed last week. Mone and Hayter brawled. Finals shots are going to be fired. Riding the momentum, it’s hard to predict what’s left to give. Final words, physicality, and/or visuals to put the cherry on top of an excellent tournament are all things we could hope for.
Mina Shirakawa vs. Julia Hart
This Wednesday, May 21#AEWDynamite
8pm ET/7pm CT, TBS + MAX @MinaShirakawa vs @TheJuliaHartAfter Mina’s 4 Way Eliminator win vs Toni, AZM + @Skyebyee, Skye’s mentor Julia Hart aims for payback vs Mina,
with Women’s World Champion Timeless Toni Storm on commentary WEDNESDAY! pic.twitter.com/CSEGkpabBe— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 19, 2025
Mina Shirakawa’s first singles match as a full-time AEW wrestler has the potential to more than bang in-ring. Billed as a chance for Julia Hart to get revenge for her “protégé” Skye Blue’s loss last week in her hometown to create storyline connective tissue, a wrinkle not necessarily needed given the contrasting nature of their characters.
It’s youth vs experience, glam vs. gothic, bubbling vs. brooding personality. This is with a clash of characters and styles. Yet beneath the pink and black, expect vicious strikes and lethal hits. This could be the first in another series of stand-out matches for the former Princess of the Black Throne that is revisited further down the line. For Shirakawa, another chance to impress.
Plus, with “Timeless” Toni Storm on commentary, just about making it past the censors, this match will be a laugh. There’s potential for some post-match fun hijinks. Highlights to make the rounds on social media.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on AEW Dynamite 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 Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content is available on their YouTube channel.
