The SmarK Rant for AEW WrestleDream 2026 – 10.17.26

The SmarK Rant for AEW WrestleDream 2026 – 10.17.26

Eh I was gonna pass on this one but I was home early from a family outing and figured that I wouldn’t want to let my fanbase down again and make them wait for another year.

Live from Orlando, FL

Your hosts are Excalibur, Tony Schiavone & Paul Wight

FTR v. The Motor City Machine Guns

Joined in progress from the pre-show, as everyone is brawling on the floor and Cash drops Shelley on the apron with a backdrop. Dax beats on him while MOCKING Detroit and goes to an abdominal stretch. FTR switches off and the ref realizes the chicanery and puts Cash out, allowing Shelley to cradle Dax for two. Cash goes to a cobra clutch, but Shelley fights out and necks Dax on the top rope, and then dodges a diving Cash before fighting for the tag and getting cut off. Shelley comes back with a sunset flip on Dax for two, but FTR cuts off the tag again by taking out Sabin. Cash misses a blind charge and crotches himself in the corner, and this time Dax can’t stop the hot tag. Sabin runs wild and Stoke accidentally punches Dax, allowing Sabin to hit a springboard DDT for two. Sabin with a rollup for two, but Cash hits him with a shot from the apron and Dax gets a spinebuster for two. Sabin with a cradle on Dax for two and a cutter gets two. Shelley goes up and gets cut off to set up the PowerPlex, but Shelley fights it off and splashes Dax for two. Double sunset flips get two on FTR. MCMG with the double superkicks, and a double neckbreaker/splash combo gets two on Dax. Cash breaks up a double team and hits the stuff piledriver on Sabin for two. Sabin escapes the Shatter Machine and they double-team Cash with a double sideslam to finish at 15:34 shown, and go up 1-0. Started a big slow and then they exploded with hot near-falls and woke up the crowd. ****

AEW World Women’s title: Mercedes Mone v. Thekla

Mone chokes her out in the corner right away and quickly takes her down with the crossface, but Thekla twists out of it with the spider-walk. They fight to the floor and Thekla runs her into the railing and back in for a flying bodypress that gets two. Thekla does another spider-walk, but Mone picks her up and gives her a lungblower for two. That’s clever. Double knees gets two. Mone with a surfboard and into a bow and arrow while the crowd is split on who they like, but Thekla escapes and gets the Tarantula on the ropes. They fight to the apron and Mone charges out there, slamming herself into the post in the process, and Thekla has some very rude gyrations on the floor as a result. Back in, Thekla with a spider suplex and spear for two, but Mone comes back with a sunset flip into the corner and a running knee in the corner. Meteora gets two. Thekla catches her in a headscissors on the mat, but Mone makes the ropes, so Thekla curb stomps her for two. Mercedes pulls off the mask and draws a surprising gasp from the crowd for that, and then hits Thekla with it to set up the Moneymaker. Thekla escapes that and rolls her up for two, but Mone hits a second Moneymaker and finishes at 14:38 to retain. I continue to beg someone to tell her to get a better finisher, but the match overdelivered for sure. ***3/4

Chris Jericho v. Nick Wayne

Jericho sends him to the floor and hits a baseball slide before running him into the railing, as Wayne takes a dramatic bump into the crowd off that. Nick tries diving off the stairs and Chris catches him and drops him with a death valley driver onto those. Ouch. Back in the ring, Jericho beats on him with chops, but he goes up for the 10 punches and Nick sends him flying to the floor for a moonsault. Back in the ring, Nick puts the boots to him and hits him with a forearm, but Jericho trips him up while he’s prepareing to do a flip and he falls on his face. They slug it out and Jericho puts him down with a lariat, and then counters Wayne’s World with a codebreaker for two. They trade chops and Wayne gets a stunner, but Jericho hangs on and suplexes him. Nick blocks the Lionsault, but misses a swanton and bails to the floor. So Jericho dives on him and they head back in the ring, where Nick slugs away on him. Jericho reverses into a powerbomb for two and turns it into the Walls, but Nick makes the ropes. He takes a hydration break on the floor and uses the SPIT TAKE OF DOOM on Chris to set up a Sliced Bread on the apron and 450 in the ring for two. Jericho fights off Wayne’s World, but Nick regroups and hits it on a second try, for one. Jericho fires up and takes him down into the Walls again, and a german suplex gets two. Nick goes low to escape another suplex, but Jericho no-sells it and reveals his athletic supporter, which he uses as a weapon. And then he distracts the ref and kicks Wayne in the nuts, but Nick gets one last desperation cradle for the pin at 15:00. Good for Nick, he’s really showing some charisma and presence in this role and I’m glad Jericho put him over. Say what you will about Jericho, but he’s been working hard and delivering in the ring on this run. ****

AEW World tag team title: The Young Bucks v. Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher

Might be worth changing the titles here just to do something shocking and elevate a brand new team. Knight chases Nick out of the ring to start and it’s over to Matt, but Kyle puts him down with shoulderblocks and puts the boots to him. The DCF double-teams the Bucks with their own double-teams. They work Matt over, but Nick comes in and runs wild, and the Bucks return the double-team favors and clear the ring. Nick with a moonsault on the heels and he chases Don Callis away from the desk, thankfully, and back in Nick tries to run wild again and ends up getting hit with a Doomsday Device. Don gets some revenge with the headset and back in the ring, they go to work on Nick in the corner. Nick fights back with a DDT on Kyle from the apron, with Kyle taking a great bump off that, and it’s hot tag Matt. He hits the rolling northern lights on both guys for two, and the double-team backstabber gets two on Fletcher. Fletcher comes back with the Michinoku Driver for two and they set up for another Doomsday, but it turns into a chicken fight instead and then double poison ranas. And then Matt hits a destroyer on Fletcher, launching off the backs of Knight and Nick in another crazy spot. Matt with a DDT on Knight and superkick, and they double-team Kyle in their corner as Nick comes in with a rana off the ropes and it’s more superkicks. Bucks go up top, but they take too long and get brought down. They fight to the floor and trade more crazy highspots, with the Bucks ending up hitting the Meltzer off the table onto Knight and that’s probably it for him. Back in the ring, the Bucks go after Fletcher with the BTE Trigger, but it only gets two. But then Knight returns with the coast to coast and Fletcher hits the brainbuster on Nick for two. Turnbuckle brainbuster into the UFO Splash gets two on Matt, with Nick making the desperate last second save. Fletcher goes for the kill, but Knight tags himself in and tries another coast to coast, and this time he lands on a superkick and the Bucks make the comeback with more superkicks. And they batter Kyle with kicks until he goes down, setting up another BTE Trigger, but Knight dives in to save, hitting his own partner by mistake as a result. BTE Trigger for Knight finishes at 22:40. This was another notch in the Bucks’ great tag team match belt, just incredible timing and highspots non-stop. *****

TBS title: Persephone v. Queen Aminata v. Dani Luna v. Hyan

Oh this is gonna die, there’s no chance they’re following that insanity. Persephone throws everyone around to start and then gets triple-teamed for her trouble and thrown out of the ring. Luna runs wild on Hyan and hits a lariat for two, but Aminata gets the Chocolate Kisses and takes Luna to the floor. Back in, Hyan gets some offense on Aminata with a legdrop for two, but Persephone sneaks in with a cradle for two. German suplex on Hyan gets two, but Aminata breaks it up and slugs it out with Persephone. Hyan takes Persephone on the floor and spears her out there as they’re struggling to get the crowd going with this. Aminata with a diving stomp on Luna for two, but Persephone saves and they’re all out. Hyan and Luna fight to the apron and a powerbomb takes them both out, allowing Aminata to hit Persephone with the running kick for two. Hyan saves and hits the Queen with a falcon arrow for two. Persephone cleans house with kicks, but Dani Luna returns and throws them around before powerbombing Aminata for two. Hyan slugs it out with Luna and hits her with a Jaded for two, but Persephone breaks it up and moonsaults Hyan for the pin to retain at 13:47. They were working hard but it was complete style clash and it felt like it went on FOREVER. Should have been a pre-show match. **1/2

AEW National title: Andrade El Idolo v. Tommaso Ciampa

They trade takedowns to start and both miss their finishers as it’s a stalemate. They trade suplexes and Andrade hits him with a crossbody and clotheslines him to the floor. It appears to be time to remove the pants, but Ciampa breaks that up for big heel heat and then teases removing his own. Thankfully he doesn’t follow through. They head to the floor and Andrade gets the Three Amigos out there, and back in with a moonsault for two. Ciampa bails to the floor and Andrade hits him with a dive, which of course sets up a selfie. Back in, Andrade tries to go tranquilo, so Ciampa hits him in the face with a knee and sends him to the floor. And Ciampa does his own selfie with his daughter for a wholesole moment. Back in the ring, Ciampa goes to a chinlock and follows with a neckbreaker and another tease of Naked Ciampa before putting the boots to Andrade. To the top and Ciampa tries an Air Raid Crash off the top, but Andrade grabs the trunks to block and we nearly do get the teased spot. And then finally they pay it off when Ciampa strips off his trunks, revealing a second pair underneath that say “I Just Know”. OK that’s hilarious. Andrade fires up and makes the comeback before giving us the pants, but they get caught up on the kneepads and Ciampa attacks him. Taz was right, he should have invested in the tearaway pants gimmick. But Andrade, pants around his knees, hits the double moonsault anyway and gets two. Finally the pants are OFF! Nigel: “Frankly a little underwhelming. Well maybe not from that angle.” Andrade with the double knees on the ropes for two. So Ciampa tosses him and takes out his frustrations on the pants, demanding that Aubrey count the pin on the pants. But they kick out and Ciampa sells it, which allows Andrade to hit the elbow for two. But then he charges and runs into a knee strike from Ciampa for two. Ciampa watching the screen to find his moment was some smart wrestling. They slug it out and battle to a double down. They slug it out and Ciampa rolls him up for two, but Andrade hits another elbow and Ciampa bails to the floor. Andrade tries a moonsault and misses, so Ciampa runs him into the cameraman, and then throws him back in the ring and hits the running knee for two. Next up, he grabs the National title to provide distraction and then tries for a chair, but can’t sneak that in either. This allows Andrade to DDT Ciampa on the belt for two, and the DM finishes at 20:24. I would’ve gone higher if the pants had turned on Andrade and cost him the title, but this was still pretty damn great despite all the wacky hijinks and anthropomorphic pants and such. ****1/4

AEW World Trios title: The New Level & Swerve Strickland v. Hangman Page, Bandido & Brody King

Two out of three falls here. Bandido battles Creed to a stalemate, but the New Level double-teams with splashes to take over. Bandido deadlifts Kofi into a suplex and it’s over to Hangman, who hits Kofi with a fallaway slam to send him to the floor. And then it’s throwdown time between Swerve and Hangman out there as tensions erupt until Hangman is the one to calm it down again. Back in the ring, the challengers triple-team Kofi and hit him with splashes over and over until Brody gets two. Kofi comes back with a moonsault to put Brody down. Over to Creed and he superkicks Hangman off the apron and runs wild with a DDT on Bandido, setting him up for the suplex from Swerve for two. Bandido with a DDT on Swerve, sending him to the floor, but New Level double-teams him in the corner and hit the Midnight Hour on him for the pin at 9:28 to win the first fall.

Second fall and Swerve comes in with the Swerve Stomp on Bandido for two right away, but Page saves and tags in for the hockey fight with Swerve. Hangman with the buckshot, but Swerve blocks it, so Hangman hits the Deadeye and Kofi pulls his partner out to prevent any pins. Back in, the House Call kick gets two for Swerve. Over to Brody with a Black Hole Slam on Swerve and everyone throws the big moves, with Hangman hitting Swerve with the buckshot while Bandido tags in for the assisted 450 for the pin on Creed at 13:53 to even it up.

Third fall and everyone brawls on the floor, where Bandido hits a dive off the ringpost onto the pile. Brodido sets up a complex move on Creed, with Page trying to dive off the railing, but Swerve pops up and hits with a rana to put him down, and then New Level does their own wacky double-team on Bandido out there instead. Back in, Creed drops a flying elbow on Bandido for two. Back to the floor as Brody hits a dive on the champs, and back in for a shooting star press from Bandido on Creed for two. Bandido with the X Knee, setting up the Buckshot/German for two. Hangman continues his fight with Swerve, but gets so wrapped up that he hits Brody by mistake. He fights Kofi on the apron and hits a Deadeye out there, but Swerve dives in with the Swerve Stomp on the apron. So Brody fights alone and stacks up the New Level on the top rope before trying a double superplex, which Swerve sadly interrupts with a Vertebreaker on Brody. So Bandido takes out Swerve with a poison rana and does the double fallaway slam himself, before hitting Swerve with the X Knee. Swerve escapes the 21Plex and hits Big Pressure, but Bandido rolls through into a cradle for the pin and the title at 23:49. I thought the 2/3 falls gimmick kind of killed the flow of the match, especially since they just jammed three falls into the same time they’d usually give a standard match. Still great, but somewhat disappointing given what I had heard about the All Out match. ****. So the New Level pay respect and give the belts to Brodido, but then Swerve goes to present Page with the belt and just drops it.

Renee Paquette introduces us to the newest All Elite wrestler…Ilja Dragunov.

AEW Continental title: Jon Moxley v. Mark Davis

They fight for the wristlock and Davis powers him into the corner and beats on him with chops. So Mox fires back with his own until Davis hits him with forearms and an elbow strike. So Moxley is busted open from that already, and Davis goes after the cut and beats on him with another running elbow in the corner for two. To the floor and Davis goes after the knee. Back in the ring, Moxley makes a comeback and Davis keeps putting him down again and then pounds on the cut in the corner and bites it. Well he’s Australian, they eat weird stuff down there. Moxley comes back with a corner clothesline in the ring and does his own biting, and then hits Mark with a cutter and into a cross armbreaker. Davis escapes that and continues to pummel Mox, and then takes him to the apron for the piledriver, leaving Moxley in a heap of blood on the floor. Mox beats the count at 9, but Davis lays him out again and Moxley appears to be done. The ref pleads with him to get back in, but finally it takes Marina and Daniel Garcia coming down to ringside in the crowd to give him a pep talk and get him going again. Back in, Moxley with a curb stomp and he makes the comeback and they slug it out and trade corner clotheslines. Moxley with the lariat out of the corner and it’s a double down. They slug it out again and Davis absolutely smokes him with a forearm, leaving Moxley wobbling, so Davis puts him in the rear naked choke. Mox transitions out to his own and switches to the bulldog choke, but Davis powers up and slams Mox into the corner. Davis tries another piledriver on the apron, but Mox escapes and sends him into the post and now Davis is busted open. So Mox goes for the kill with a dive and beats on the cut with elbows, and back in the ring where he takes a clothesline to the back of the head and german suplex from a pissed off Davis. Davis tries the lariat and misses, and Mox hits the Death Rider for two. So Davis powers up and cracks his own neck like a movie monster, so Moxley just blindly punches and kicks in desperation until Davis clotheslines him down again. So Moxley goes nuclear and tries the Brutalizer as a last resort, but he can’t sink it in. So he switches to a choke insead, and Davis powers up, only to fall down again and go out at 23:19. Holy shit what a war this was, as Moxley faces his demons and comes out on top. Say what you will, but this guy loves pro wrestling and has suddenly become an amazing babyface. ****3/4

AEW World title, Clockwork Carnage: Will Ospreay v. Samoa Joe v. Adam Copeland v. Mike Bailey v. Ricochet v. Kazuchika Okada v. Konosuke Takeshita v. Darby Allin

So we start with Ospreay and Takeshita, and Will puts him on the floor and hits him with a dive, and then back in for the corkscrew kick that gets two. Takeshita hits him with a clothesline and puts him on the floor for his own dive, and Mike Bailey is at #3. He comes in with a sunset flip for two on Takeshita. The Empire double-teams Takeshita with splashes for two, but then they think about turning on each other and Takeshita lays them both out. Ricochet is #4 and he offers a truce to Takeshita and then immediately turns on him and rolls him up for two. So Takeshita goes after him, but Ric hits Ospreay with a dive and has a flipping battle with Bailey. Takeshita puts Ricochet down with chops and everyone fights to the top rope, where Takeshita hits the Empire with a double superplex and Ricochet dives in with a 450 on Takeshita for two. Darby Allin is #5 and he immediately sets up a table and then hits Ricochet with a Code Red into the ring for two. Coffin drop for Takeshita on the floor, but he dives again and Takeshita hits im with a knee on the floor and knocks him out. Back in the ring, Ospreay puts Takeshita on the floor with an enzuigiri and Kazuchika Okada is #6. He fights everyone off and dropkicks Darby to the floor, but he gets distracted with Bailey and Takeshita backslides him for two. But then Bailey manages to pin both guys off that for two. Bailey with a Spanish Fly on Takeshita for two and he throws kicks, but walks into a Blue Thunder Bomb and Raging Fire and his night is over at 14:00. Well no shock there. Adam Copeland is #7 and he beatrs on Ricochet while the crowd sings his song, but misses the spear. Ricochet boots him down and goes up with a shooting star press, but that hits the knees and he bails to the floor. Takeshita goes after Cope and hits him with the Blue Thunder, but Okada sneaks in and takes out Takeshita with the Rainmaker at 15:34. Ospreay with the Ozcutter on Okada for two off that. Everyone desperately hits big moves for near-falls to try and finish before the last guy, but Samoa Joe is #8 and now the points period begins.

So next up, the six guys have 15:00 to score the most pins, and Joe quickly wrecks everyone and hits Darby with the Muscle Buster for the first pin. Ricochet also steals a pin off that. Okada hits Cope with the Rainmaker and pins him for one point. Okada with a tombstone on Ospreay, but Will reverses the Rainmaker into the Stormbreaker for two. Ricochet breaks it up, so Will hits him with the Styles Clash for his first pin. But then Darby hits Will with the coffin drop and pins him as well. And then Darby cradles Cope and pins him to go up with 2 points. Ospreay with the Hidden Blade on Darby for 2 points. Ospreay and Ricochet fight on the top and Rico takes him down with a rana for two, but Ospreay fights back until Ric puts him down with a knee and hits a shooting star press for two. They slug it out on the apron, but Copeland comes out of nowhere with a spear to put Ricochet through a table on the floor. Joe and Darby slug it out on the floor while Okada drops the elbow on Ospreay, but Will reverses the Rainmaker into the Spanish Fly for two. Meanwhile Joe slams Darby on the stairs and then heads into the ring, doing a pair of walk-aways from the Ozcutter in a funny spot, setting up the choke, and Ospreay fights it off for a while and then taps out to give Joe 2 points. As noted by Nigel, the strategy by Will should have been to tap immediately and save himself for later. Copeland suddenly runs wild with spears, pinning Joe and Ricochet with spears in rapid succession to get 2 points himself. Spear on Ospreay is countered with a cradle for two, but Cope hits the Impaler and fires up for the spear with time running out. But Okada hits the dropkick, so Copeland spears him for two, only for Ospreay to hit a last second Hidden Blade and pin Copeland to win with 3 points and retain at 33:00.

So I dunno, the first ever Clockwork Carnage was…not fantastic. I really enjoyed parts, like the Royal Rumble portion which is tough to screw up, and the first couple of minutes of the points round was amazing breakneck action, but the whole deal with Joe and Ospreay just slowed it to a crawl and it never recovered. I wanna give it ***1/2 overall and it was an admirable first attempt but it needs to be refined a lot. Less guys in the big schmoz portion would help a lot, for one thing.

Overall, I’d say this one overdelivered based on my low expectations. Davis v. Moxley absolutely hit it out of the park with a deeply layered fight, and the Ciampa-Andrade match was comedy mixed perfectly with violence. With nothing bad and pretty much everything four stars or better, it’s an easy thumbs up, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to watch the main event or anything.