When AEW Dynamite returns to US soil after its Valentine’s Day excursion, the promotion’s packing a PPV-quality first-time matchup between Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland. The Memorial Auditorium crowd in Sacramento, California, is going to be spoiled. We, the AEW viewing audience, are going to be spoiled in what already feels like the start of a new Feeling and peak for the alternative promotion.
It’s possible, just like previous historic first-time matches on AEW Dynamite, this isn’t just a one-off contest. It’s the fuse-setter for a longer, larger story. After AEW Grand Slam Australia, there are plenty of new directions heading towards AEW Revolution. Plus, plenty of debuts. Besides The Brawling Birds making their TV debut, three big Australian signings will join the women’s division and more.
Keep coming back for the latest updates and passionate words to get you hyped.
This Wednesday, 2/18!
Experience the fallout from #AEWGrandSlam Australia as the road to #AEWRevolution begins!
Tune in to Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite LIVE at 8/7c on @TBSNetwork + @SportsOnMAX, THIS WEDNESDAY! pic.twitter.com/cYl3UVCV0D
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 15, 2026
Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland
Swerve Strickland, in elevating himself to one of AEW’s company faces, fought and defeated three-quarters of The Elite. The only one who alluded to Swerve in the ring, due to injuries and timing, was Kenny Omega. As Swerve stated on the last episode of Dynamite, he’s heard and seen the legend and myth.
Yet with a touch of arrogance and a chip on his shoulder, reminiscent of the start of Swerve’s feud with Hangman Adam Page, Strickland seems focused on collecting another head. Strickland is focused on vanishing a god. Although Strickland has questioned and accused Omega of abusing his EVP status, it seems like a convenient pretext. Omega has seen the disrespect and the whispering, plotting with an Embassy-branded towel-wielding Prince Nana. Something big is in the works. Is Strickland about to go heel or return to a dark place?
After cutting words with some deep-penetrating barbs and an explosive fight, expect magic in the ring. With so much animosity, one match can’t contain these issues. Like MJF vs. Adam Cole or MJF vs. Will Ospreay, these are the dramatic opening pages of something bigger.
Whether it ends in a draw, an unclean finish, or even the brawl last week, a disqualification, or count out, this can’t be a one-and-done.
New Championship Directions
With two huge title changes on last week’s Dynamite, we’re likely going to find out what’s next for the AEW Women’s World Championship and the AEW TNT Championship. At Grand Slam, Kyle Fletcher retained against Mark Briscoe and unveiled (finally) his own custom pink championship strap! Will the former, short-lived champion and Psycho Killer, Tommaso Ciampa, return to the hunt? Will Ciampa get his rematch?
There’s plenty of fallout involving other Don Callis Family members, from Andrade El Idolo’s loss to the draw between Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita. Their feud is likely to persist. How will AEW International champion, Kazuchika Okada, fit into proceedings?
The sands have also shifted in the women’s division. Thekla overcame Kris Statlander last week in a strap match to become the AEW Women’s World Champion. Kris Statlander promises karma is a cosmic killer. Plus, with the debut of Lena Kross at Grand Slam, is Megan Bayne done with the AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions?
We haven’t even discussed that the Young Bucks are the number one contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championships! Nor the road to AEW Revolution, as legacy rivals Hangman Adam Page and MJF will meet face-to-face!
AEW Dynamite (2/18/26) – Matches Announced
- The TV Debut of The Brawling Birds
- TBS Championship 4-Way: Willow Nightingale © vs. Megan Bayne vs. Marina Sharif vs. Mina Shirakawa
- Kenny Omega vs. Swerve Strickland
Other Announcements
- MJF and Hangman Adam Page meet face-to-face
Hangman is signed and ready for #AEWRevolution, but is @The_MJF ready for Hangman?
Watch the #AEWGrandSlam Australia replay RIGHT NOW on @SportsOnMAX! pic.twitter.com/nCtyovxpJy
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 15, 2026
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on the 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 Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content is available on their YouTube channel.
