The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 07.15.26
By Scott Keith on 16 July 2026
The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 07.15.26
Live from Boston, MA
Your hosts are Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Taz
LAST WEEK: We actually recap the show for those didn’t see it! I approve of this practice.
Meanwhile, Will Ospreay continues training with the Death Riders, and Moxley notes that the hard work is mostly done, but Will can’t hesitate when it comes time to make some hard decisions. And Mox tells him to pull the trigger no matter who the target is. Ohhhhh they’re totally setting up Ospreay pulling the trigger on Moxley and taking over the group, I bet.
AEW World tag team title: Cope & Cage v. Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia
The champs double-team Yuta to start, and the crowd lets us know that Christian is their father. That’s a lot of kids. Cage slugs away on Garcia and puts him down with a back elbow, and Copeland trades shots with Daniel in the corner. However, Yuta trips him up on the apron and we get some double-teaming on the floor as we take a break. Back with Garcia trying a sleeper on Copeland, but Adam escapes with a powerslam for a double down. Yuta cuts off a tag and beats Cope down, but Cage gets the hot tag and runs wild on Yuta with an inverted DDT for two. To the top for a diving headbutt that gets two. Yuta’s the worst, I hear he takes Ubers and then farts in the back seat and gives the driver a one star rating because “the car was too smelly”. It’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA and the Riders double-team Cage with running elbows in the corner, as we get YET ANOTHER turnbuckle pad ripped off by Yuta. I’m so sick of that spot. But Christian spears him and pins him at 9:00 anyway. This was fine but pretty pedestrian, like their entire reign thus far. **1/2
Afterwards, the Dogs hit the ring for a beatdown, but the Bang Bang Gang makes the save, leading to a showdown with Jay White and David Finlay that will no doubt lead to a banger of a match at the PPV. Christian still doesn’t trust Jay, but I feel like they should team up as the White Christians and then they’d have everything handed to them for the rest of their careers. Add in the rest of the team and they’re White Christians with Gunns, and they’re running the country by 2028.
Meanwhile, Andrade is happy to take every title from the Callis Family on the way to the AEW World title. Also, he unveils MJF’s diamond ring, courtesy of his good friend, Will Ospreay.
Meanwhile, the Conglomeration thinks now would be a great time for someone to come challenge them for the Trios titles, and amazingly that brings the Demand over to do just that! And then the Swirl attacks from behind, apparently trying out for a spot in the team.
Jake Doyle v. Andrade
Doyle attacks on the floor before the bell to lay him out, but Andrade comes back with a rana off the apron and stops to take a selfie with a fan. Back in the ring, they slug it out, but Doyle takes him to the apron for a chokeslam on the HARDEST PART OF THE RING as we take a break. Back with them throwing down until Andrade makes the comeback and removes more clothing, only to run into a charging Doyle. Jake charges again and misses, landing on the floor, and Andrade moonsaults him out there. Back in, Doyle catches a rana attempt and turns it into a powerbomb for two. Andrade with the Three Amigos for two. Andrade with the running double knees for two. To the top, but Doyle waffles him on the way down with a forearm and elbows him down for two. Andrade with a crucifix for two, and the DM finishes at 12:00. Doyle gave him a hell of a fight here. ***1/2 So this sets up Mark Davis defending the National title at Redemption, which will probably be Andrade’s first step on the way to the big belt.
Kenny Omega joins us for his AEW World title celebration, helped out by the Young Bucks, who bring him a fresh title belt to replace the Triple B. So he thanks all his friends and fans for supporting him on the way back to the title. This brings out Will Ospreay, who was watching the title match last week and calls him “a cheeky slag” for kicking out at one. But even though Kenny is Will’s hero, he’s not gonna be second best after my 25th birthday at All In. They’re about to do a Megapower handshake to seal the deal, but Kevin Knight interrupts and points out that he’s still owed a World title shot. He’s not actually but Knight is a heel anyway. Omega points out that Kevin is trying to hold Kenny to a promise that MJF made, which he’s not willing to do, but he might give him a title shot anyway because he’s a nice guy. But he’s concerned that Kevin is wasting his potential by hanging out with Don Callis because he can do it by himself. And Kenny notes that Kevin isn’t speaking from his own heart, he’s talking shit spewed by Don Callis, so if he wants a title shot, he has to leave Callis in the back. So Knight agrees and attacks Kenny, but then Darby Allin hits the ring and goes after Knight, prompting the whole Callis Family to storm the ring. And then the Death Riders make the save.
Meanwhile, Jack Perry throws out an open challenge for Collision.
Brodido v. Aaron Solo & Nick Comorodo
Damn, it’s like having AEW Dark back again. Comorodo wants Brody, but Bandido wants to handle it himself and quickly hits him with the press slam. Over to Brody, who slams Bandido onto Nick for two. Over to Solo, but Brodido double-teams him in the corner and Bandido hits them with a double frog splash for the pin at 2:18. Afterwards, they celebrate their huge win all the way backstage and bump into Kyle Fletcher in the process, no doubt setting up something else.
AEW international title: Kyle Fletcher v. Komander
Komander takes him down and cradles for two, flustering Kyle, and Fletcher bails to the floor and catches a diving Komander before putting him down with a big boot. The crowd gets on Callis, so Fletcher goes over and hugs him at the announce desk just to egg them on. That’s tremendous. Back in the ring, Kyle slugs Komander down, but he misses a charge and lands on the floor, allowing Komander to ropewalk into a springboard dive as we take a break. Back with Komander throwing kicks to stagger Fletcher, but Kyle fights back with a high kick on the apron and tries a deadlift back into the ring. Fletcher blocks that, so Komander sits him on the top rope and brings him down with a rana, chasing him to the floor for another rana out there. Back in with a 450 for two. Fletcher charges and runs into a superkick in the corner, but he tries the ropewalk and Kyle trips him up. So Komander bounces into a destroyer instead and that gets two. Komander is putting on a show here, you have to give him that. Komander with a superkick, but Fletcher catches him in a Michinoku Driver for two. Brainbuster follows and that finally finishes him at 11:00. ****. Afterwards, Kyle goes for the mask, but Takeshita returns and makes the save on his way to Japan for the G1. But this brings out Okada to take out Takeshita, and they have a quick moment before Brodido hits the ring, which I assume sets up a tag match at the PPV that should rule.
Meanwhile, Darby tries to tell Kenny that talking to Kevin is a waste of time, so he’s gonna beat Kevin for the TNT title next week. And then Moxley stops by to give Omega some side-eye and accuse him of being a snake in disguise.
The Brawling Birds join Renee and they’re pretty upset about England blowing the World cup, but they won’t let the fans down like England did.
Meanwhile, Jericho wants a rematch with Ciampa, but this time he’s bringing the PAINMAKER. And Ciampa accepts, but first he’s gonna do an open challenge for Collision and make an example of them.
Darby Allin v. Brian Cage
Darby tries the dive to the floor and just bounces off Cage’s abs, and Brian sends him into the railing and then carries him back into the ring in a suplex before dumping him onto the ramp. And then he adds a suplex off the middle rope and onto the ramp for good measure. Back in, Cage with a TKO and we take a break. Back with Cage continuing to toss Darby around on the floor, but he comes back with a dropkick off the stairs and follows with a coffin drop to the floor. Back in, Darby blocks a superplex with a Code Red off the top, which gets two. Back to the ramp as Cage clubs him down and then just presses him back to the floor, smashing his head off the post in the process. But Darby beats the count and then trips up Cage onto the stairs and hits him with another coffin drop. Cage beats the count at 9, but Darby hits him with a pair of coffin drops and pins him at 10:00 to complete the comeback. He might not be World champion anymore but he’s sure acting like he is. ***3/4
Meanwhile, Kyle Fletcher is sick of Bandido and offers him a title match at Redemption.
Meanwhile, Don Callis tells Kevin Knight to take care of Kenny Omega and makes it a veiled threat. And Mike Bailey stops by and again offers to take Knight back when he comes to his senses.
Mercedes Mone, Megan Bayne & Lena Kross v. Willow Nightingale, Maya World & Hyan
We get a big showdown in the middle to start and the tag champs get stereo slams on Maya & Hyan. Over to Willow, who hits Lena with an enzuigiri and a corner splash. The faces triple-team Kross off that and the heels bail, so the babyfaces toss Mone onto them and we get triple dives as we take a break. Back with Mercedes hitting a lungblower on Maya for two. Maya fights off Kross and it’s hot tag Willow, who hits Megan with a spinebuster for two. It’s BONZO GONZO and everyone is down. Maya with a small package on Mone and they each reverse that until Mone gets the Three Amigos, but she misses the frog splash. Over to Hyan, who hits Kross with a crossbody and knee strike, but Divine Dominion double-teams her and Bayne gets a falcon arrow for two. Willow pounces Bayne out of the ring, and Hyan cradles Mone for two and follows with a spear for two. Mercedes with the Moneymaker to finish Hyan at 14:00, however. I mean, OK? Has Hyan even been on Dynamite before this match? This didn’t really accomplish anything or tie in with any storylines or PPV build, so I’m not really sure why we needed a TWENTY TWO MINUTE overrun for it. ***
They couldn’t really follow last week’s show, clearly, but this one felt kind of rambling and overly long despite a hot crowd. Also, swapping out MJF v. Kenny Omega for Kenny Omega v. Kevin Knight is certainly a choice. I don’t see that one selling any PPV buys. Redemption feels like kind of an unnecessary roadblock on the way to All In, to be honest.