AEW Dynamite Results and LIVE Updates (2/18/26): Kenny Omega versus Swerve Strickland

Orange Cassidy and Renee Paquette Interview

Paquette asked Cassidy how he felt about the upcoming match against Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors. Cassidy displayed a nonplussed attitude, bringing in NJPW talent Tomohiro Ishii as backup.

Jon Moxley (c) defeated Mark Davis in an AEW Contentional Championship Eliminator Match

Moxley cautiously grappled against Davis, overcoming a waistlock. The Aussie gained some steam, thrusting his whole body against the charging champion. Davis pulverized Moxley with stiff chops. Moxley’s Sunset Flip did him little favor as Davis dropped his full weight on the Death Rider. Moxley baited Davis into punching the ring post, which streamed rivulets of blood from the challenger’s knuckles. Taking advantage, Moxley bit down on the wound and squeezed more with his boot.

Davis briefly rebounded, but Moxley cut him off at the top rope, biting his hand before unleashing an unforgiving Superplex. The rampaging Davis nearly destroyed Moxley with a lariat, but suffered a Cutter instead. Failing multiple times to decapitate Davis with a lariat, his opponent succeeded with one of his own. A Gutwrench Suplex and Piledriver almost gave Davis the 3-count. Grounding Davis with a Bulldog Choke, Moxley tapped him out.

(Watching Davis’s fist progressively puff up as it swelled was nasty. Muscling through it must’ve been tough, but Davis killed it.)

Hangman Adam Page was ready for MJF

Boasting his victory over Andrade El Idolo, Page set his sights on MJF. Page declared that MJF would regret it if he tried his usual dirty tactics against him.

FTR denounced the Young Bucks

Dax Harwood listed the Young Bucks’ accolades and their history with FTR. Stokely Hathaway echoed online sentiment by “the definition of insanity.” Expressing disdain for their seeming dominance over the younger locker room members. Unbeknownst to Hathaway, FTR had been superkicked by Nick and Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks. Nick took the microphone from a toppled Hathaway, declaring he and Matt would win the AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championship at AEW Revolution.

Brody King mourned the Grand Slam: Australia defeat

King mentioned his and Bandido’s failures to take the belt from Men’s World Champion, MJF. Undeterred, he stated his intent to re-enter the title picture. The Sacramento crowd’s anti-ICE chants nearly drowned out the backstage promo.

Willow Nightingale (c) defeated Megan Bayne, Marina Shafir, & Mina Shirakawa for the TBS Championship

Bayne and Shafir formed a temporary alliance after quickly dispatching Shirakawa. Nightingale overcame the odds, cannonballing herself into these formidable opponents. Shirakawa leapt in an elevated Flying Crossbody to the outside. Once more, Bayne and Shafir reunited, with the former later throwing Shirakawa to all three competitors outside.

Shirakawa lured Bayne into a senton onto Shafir. Nightingale employed a Spinebuster on both Shafir and Shirakawa. Bayne and Nightingale clothselines Shirakawa and Shafir, respectively, before doing the same to one another. A Fireman’s Carry + Death Valley Driver courtesy of Nightingale rocked Bayne. Shafir’s alliance with Bayne faltered as they disagreed on who should take out Nightingale. This resulted in Bayne powerbombing the Death Rider through the timekeeper’s table. Shirakawa’s Figure-Four Leglock attempt on the lone Nightingale ended in a counter roll-up, ensuring a successful retention.

(Nightingale has some juice in her title reign now, while Shafir and Bayne’s relationship has seen new developments. Shirakawa was a good soldier, but hopefully she doesn’t eat too many pins where it counts in her AEW tenure.)

Kerwin Silfies tribute

Excalibur and Tony Schiavone mentioned the passing of WWE director Kerwin Silfies. An emotional Bryan Danielson added his condolences.

MJF and Hangman Adam Page face-to-face

MJF wasted no second in declaring his hatred for Page and everything he stood for. When looking in Page’s eyes, MJF declared him not to be the same man he faced in 2025’s AEW Revolution, and said he’d eliminate the “myth” around him. Page snarled that MJF was a coward for how he slithered into the title picture of “greater men.” He assured MJF he hated him worse, not because of his actions, but because he saw himself in MJF’s desperation and reluctance. Page then urged MJF to pitch a stipulation for their Revolution bout. Initially refusing, MJF was talked into it by Page, offering to never challenge for the AEW Men’s World Championship for as long as he lived. Delighted, MJF agreed to these conditions and said he’d think on the stipulation. Page instead instated the Texas Deathmatch stipulation. He paused before exiting, hanging his head in doubt, before proceeding on.

Death Riders backstage promo

Jon Moxley touted the Death Riders as “survivors.” Pac and Daniel Garcia challenged the Don Callis Family in the Death Riders on the February 21 AEW Collision.

Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii defeated Gabe Kidd & Clark Connors

Cassidy played mind games against Kidd before unleashing Ishii. Connors put down the Stone Pitbull, taking turns chopping the STRONG Openweight Champion’s chest raw. Ishii stood back tall in his diminutive stature, absorbing more chops before dishing them out on Connors. He and Cassidy coordinated their signature chop styles on the War Dog. Kidd tagged in, thrusting Cassidy via Exploder Suplex into Connors’s shoulder tackle.

Ishii and Kidd engaged in their Strong Style chest chops, with the former’s shoulder tackle dropping the latter. Kidd ate an elbow and rebounded with a Comebacker Lariat. Ishii staggered in getting up, yet endured another shoulder tackle from Connors. The Stone Pitbull returned to his feet, falling prey to a Powerslam from Connors. Cassidy surprised Connors with a DDT and a suicida to Kidd outside. Kidd set Cassidy up for a DDT on the barricade, but Darby Allin struck him in the back with a skateboard. Cassidy and Ishii combined an Orange Punch and a Brainbuster for the latter to pin Connors.

(This was very much for the NJPW fans out there. Ishii’s selling of his strained meniscus was inspired.)

Don Callis & Josh Alexander accepted the Death Riders challenge

Alexander and Callis obliged to Jon Moxley and crew’s challenge for February 21’s Collision. Kazuchika Okada, El Clon, and Andrade El Idolo joined them, as they stated their intent for the CMLL Men’s World Championship.

HOOK’s recruitment plan

HOOK once again reminded fans he was temporarily in charge of The Opps. He acknowledged Katsuyori Shibata’s absence, stating that he was recruiting internationally while he himself kept an eye on the United States.

Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter & Alex Windsor) defeated Viva Fan and B3CCA

Windsor and Hayter picked apart Van, with the latter blasting her with a boot. The Brawling Birds kept Van cornered. She escaped to tag in B3CCA who nearly stood her ground. The Brawling Birds crushed her with a double clothesline.

Kris Statlander and Thunder Rosa addressed the future

Statlander, incensed about her loss to Thekla on the February 11 Dynamite, vowed vengeance. Rosa, however, announced her medical clearance and determination against the Toxic Spider. Statlander urged Rosa to err on the side of caution.

Kevin Knight (with Speedball Mike Bailey) defeated The Beast Mortos

The girthy Mortos met Knight at every angle, yet soon toppled over the top turnbuckle pad due to his own momentum. Knight had no problem leaping over it to wind down the beast. Mortos had Knight on the ropes, flipping him so hard over that his chin struck the apron. Mortos threw himself into a tornillo at the grounded Knight. The beast’s subsequent Samoan Drop nearly spelled doom for the JetSpeed member. Though he sustained much damage from Mortos, Knight moved with a fresh energy as though he let Mortos deplete much of his adrenaline. This allowed him a Pendulum DDT on his beefy foe. A resounding UFO Splash gave young Knight the pinfall victory.

(A Muhammad Ali bout disguised as a lucha libre match. Loved it.)

Will Ospreay video package

As per his usual vignettes, Ospreay hinted that his comeback was coming nearer and nearer.

The Demand issued maintained dominance

Ricochet bragged about his recent victory over Jack Perry. Bishop Kau and Toa Liona issued a challenge to Jet Set Rodeo (JetSpeed and Hangman Adam Page). The trio turned toward their locker room to find a knife lodged in their labeled door. They laughed it off.

Swerve Strickland defeated Kenny Omega

Strickland shoulder tackled Omega after a tense lockup. They traded chops and elbows to the face. Omega suddenly launched Strickland with a hurricanrana. Strickland responded with en tijeras to the outside. Targeting Omega’s midsection, Strickland hurled Omega into the steel steps. Omega faltered in a barricade-prone moonsault, but succeeded on a second attempt. A Snapdragon Suplex and knee made things harder for Strickland. Positioning Strickland by his hair, Omega fired off two V-Triggers, with a third converted into Strickland’s Backbreaker and dropkick.

Strickland clung to the top rope to deny Omega any suplex to the outside. Omega’s hubris saw Strickland land on his feet from the suplex to give a vertical suplex. A 450 Splash pierced through Omega, yet wasn’t enough to end him. Atop the peak turnbuckle, Omega fired an Avalanche Snapdragon Suplex. Strickland mused that his shoulder was injured to Referee Aubrey Edwards. Unaware, Omega annihilated both of them with a V-Trigger. A One-Winged Angel found a reversal to a Victory Roll courtesy of Strickland, followed by a House Call. On the apron, Strickland crushed Omega’s back with a Swerve Stomp. Exposing the bottom turnbuckle, Strickland seesawed Omega into the harsh steel of it. One last Swerve Stomp instilled shock into Strickland come Omega’s kick-out. Omega ducked a House Call, threw a Snapdragon Suplex and a reverse hurricanrana, and another V-Trigger. A House Call and Big Pressure finally put Omega down for good.

Post-match: Strickland assaulted Omega, hung him from a chain, and, despite Bryan Danielson’s pleas, plummeted Omega through the announce desk.

(This match already sold itself, but for as great as it was, there was hesitance here, as though these two have way more left in the tank.)

Final Thoughts

The Brawling Birds’s debut went off spectacularly. Online and in Sacramento, they were over. Jon Moxley made Mark Davis’s momentum grow him even bigger a star. I love how the women’s 4-way spun a storyline out of it with Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir while keeping Nightingale dominant. Every other match, while exciting, couldn’t reach the main event’s level, sadly. It’d be near impossible.

Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland, I imagine, will earn at least 4-5 stars, with more in the tank as the year goes on. There is so much money between these two, and gives them something to do aside from Hangman Adam Page, the Don Callis Family, The Opps, and the Death Riders. More please.