All Elite Wrestling
AEW Revolution 2026
March 15, 2026
Crypto.com Arena
Los Angeles, California
Watch: HBO MAX / Prime Video / MyAEW / YouTube / DAZN / & more!
Meet our reviewers:
Sean Sedor: After watching all three of the major motorsports today (F1 in China, IndyCar in Arlington (Texas), and NASCAR in Las Vegas, Sean is ready to close out his Sunday by reviewing AEW Revolution, which (as per usual) looks like another strong PPV offering from All Elite Wrestling. You can find Sean on Twitter @SASedor2994 and on BlueSky @sasedor2994.bsky.social. If you’re interested in some of Sean’s other escapades, you can watch him play the NASCAR and Formula 1 games on YouTube (just search his name and you’ll find the channel), and you can also go to the Be The Booker forums if you’d like to check out Sean’s EWR Diary, where he plays as WCW (started in 1998, currently in August 2004).
Suit Williams: Suit will join the review during the Women’s Tag Team Title match, as he asked for the wrong night off work. Follow Suit on socials @SuitWilliams. I know this is AEW territory, but I did want to plug the countdown of my Top 50 WrestleMania matches going on over at SuitWilliams.com. The first two parts are up, with part three coming out on March 19th to mark 30 days to WrestleMania 42! You’ll also see long-form show reviews and long-term watch projects, like my 1997 retrospective As Good As It Gets, which will add a new volume this Tuesday, March 17th.
AEW Revolution 2026 Zero Hour
Boom & Doom (Big Boom AJ & QT Marshall with Aaron Solo, Big Justice & The Rizzler) def. The Infantry (Captain Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo with Shane Taylor, Trish Adora, & Christyan XO)
Sean: So I guess we’re going to be getting a Big Boom AJ match two or three times a year? I know some are still annoyed by the presence of the Costco Guys in AEW (and I totally get it). For me, the act has definitely lost steam (feels like their fifteen minutes of fame ended a long time ago), but as long as they’re kept to these free pre-shows, it doesn’t bother me too much (and I’ve been pretty consistent on that). The Infantry jumped Boom and Doom to get this one started, but AJ and QT were quick to respond. QT managed to connect with a dive to the floor, though he was soon taken down with the El Generico style jumping-through-the-turnbuckle DDT. As you would expect, this led to QT getting worked over for a bit until AJ made the hot tag and started to clean house. As that was going on, Shane Taylor got into it with Wayne Brady before shoving down The Rizzler, which got a lot of heat. Taylor then got wiped out by Big Justice with a spear (didn’t expect to see that) before AJ hit a dive off the top rope onto the pile. AJ and QT then got the win with the….*checks notes*….Boomsday Device. This by no means set the world on fire, but for what it was, it was ok. It’s very clear that they have their formula with these Big Boom AJ matches, and they took advantage of the show being in Los Angeles to get some celebrity involvement. Barring a total disaster (*knock on wood*), this will likely be the worst match on the card, but it was by no means horrible. **
AEW Revolution 2026 Zero Hour
TBS Title
Willow Nightingale (c) def. Lena Kross
Sean: These two ladies will be pulling double duty tonight, as they’ll be involved in the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Title bout later on during the main card. Kross was dominant in the first few minutes as she used her size advantage to overpower Willow. We finally got some sustained offense from Willow after she connected with a dropkick off the second rope, and followed up with some strikes in the corner and a spinebuster. From there, it became a more even affair between the two. Eventually, Lena tried for the Jackhammer, but Willow turned into a backslide, and got the three count. Megan Bayne then came out and joined Lena in a post-match attack on Willow until Harley Cameron made the save. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one (mainly because I haven’t seen a ton of Lena Kross, aside from the one or two matches she’s had since officially being signed), but it turned out to be a good little match. Willow was as solid as always, while Lena Kross had a fine showing in her own right. She got a ton of offense in this match to show the audience what she can do, and had some nice exchanges with Willow in the closing minutes. On the whole, a perfect match for its spot on the card, and it served its purpose of setting up the tag team match later in the night. ***1/4
AEW Revolution 2026 Zero Hour
AEW National Title – Blackjack Battle Royal
Winner: Jack Perry
Sean: Not entirely sure why Ricochet is being forced to defend his title in a Battle Royal. This would make a lot more sense if this was just a #1 Contender’s Match, with the winner getting a future title shot (either on TV, or maybe on the PPV….just have it as one big segment with the battle royal winner getting their shot in the PPV opener). For some reason, this started as a tribute to the old TNA Reverse Battle Royal, with every single participant brawling on the floor. This ended up just being an excuse for people like AR Fox, Lio Rush (who was quite literally acting like a cat), and Komander to hit some dives (Komander added a twist to his rope walk dive, which looked amazing). It was at this stage that we FINALLY got people in the ring and started having actual eliminations. I won’t go over every single spot or elimination, but some of my personal highlights included AR Fox showing why he’s still awesome (he had a brief interaction with El Clon, and I’d love to see that singles match), and Shibata eliminating Dralistico in the most nonchalant way possible. It soon became clear that this Blackjack Battle Royal was going to bleed into the PPV, and both Ace Austin and Tomasso Ciampa were sent out as the Zero Hour ended.
Juice Robinson and El Clon were the next two out, and thus, the match (predictably) came down to Ricochet vs. Jack Perry. The two had a brief exchange before things spilled to the apron. Ricochet tried to hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron, but Perry turned it into a Poison Rana, and that was it! Jack Perry is the new AEW National Champion. The first portion of the battle royal with everyone brawling on the floor wasn’t great (even though some of the dives were), though once they actually got in the ring, it was a fairly decent battle royal. Not one of the best, and not one of the worst. In the middle, I would say. Jack Perry finally winning this title wasn’t a shocking result, but it was certainly a strange road to get here, with Perry losing multiple title matches, only to get Ricochet back by beating him in multi-person matches. Also, if this was going to be the ultimate destination, why not just do these two in some sort of gimmick match that would blow off the feud? Certainly that would be better than a battle royal with the title on the line. As for the battle royal bleeding into the show, I’m not sure this was the match I would’ve done this with. You did get a big moment with the title change, but unless it’s an insanely awesome match (like FTR vs. JetSpeed from WrestleDream last year), I’m not sure I would’ve done this with this particular match. ***
AEW World Tag Team Titles
FTR (with Stokely Hathaway) (c) def. The Young Bucks
Sean: The Young Bucks had a special entrance that included a video package with words from all of their kids….but then they all came out with Matt and Nick for their full entrance. As for FTR, they came out in Boston Celtics colors. The match kicked off with The Young Bucks firmly in control, though that quickly changed when FTR caught Nick Jackson on a dive attempt and slammed him into the announce desk. They followed that up by giving Matt Jackson the spike piledriver on the apron (FTR delivered the same move to Matt on the announce desk on Dynamite, so Matt’s neck was the clear target). Nick was busted open as he returned to the ring. As Nick tried to fight back, Dax had somehow gotten busted open. Following a dropkick/senton combo, Nick finally made the tag to Matt, who started to chain together some offense despite the injured neck and shoulder. In a very sweet moment, Matt’s kids tried to fire him up at ringside, and after Malakai Jackson threw a drink in Dax’s face, that gave Matt a much-needed opening.
The Young Bucks managed to lock in double sharpshooters on FTR, but Dax managed to get to the ropes after Cash literally bit and slapped some sense into him. More back and forth followed between the two sides, leading to a spot where Matt and Nick hit simultaneous suplexes from the apron to the floor. Rapid Fire Superkicks from The Young Bucks followed once they returned to the ring, but Stokely Hathaway hopping up from his wheelchair to get involved gave the advantage back to FTR. After surviving some of FTR’s biggest shots, Nick powered out with a big one count kickout when FTR attempted their own Superkick Party. The Young Bucks then went on another flurry, and Dax somehow survived The Meltzer Driver. More Bang For Your Buck was attempted, but FTR managed to break that up. One Spike Piledriver and one Super Shatter Machine later, and FTR retained the AEW World Tag Team Titles.
This was an outstanding tag team match from start to finish. You knew it was going to be a heated affair with The Young Bucks looking to get payback after what FTR did to their family, but I did not expect this to be as bloody of a match as it was. I’m certainly not going to complain about the presence of blood though, as it added so much to this match. The Young Bucks were incredible in their role as the babyfaces here, and FTR played their roles expertly too. The action throughout was awesome to watch, with the second half being particularly awesome. What I thought was also cool to see was that FTR won the match clean. Yes, they did cheat a few times here and there, but in the end, they managed to outlast The Young Bucks, and beat them clean. They did such a great job making you want that title change, but ultimately, it didn’t happen. Before tonight, I would’ve said the match between these two teams from an episode of Dynamite from Boston in the Spring of 2022 was their best match. After tonight, it’s safe to say that this one topped it. In the post-match, we did get the return of Adam Copeland and Christian Cage. They wiped out FTR and posed with the titles. As expected, we’re getting another match between those two teams, but with tag team gold involved this time. We did get a brief moment with The Young Bucks and the duo of Cope and Cage as well, so I have a feeling that The Young Bucks’ hunt for the AEW World Tag Team Titles is far from over. ****3/4
Everyone Banned From Ringside
“Timeless” Toni Storm def. Marina Shafir
Sean: Imagine telling someone during the early portion of Marina Shafir’s run in AEW that she would eventually get a showcase singles match on PPV. It would’ve been a crazy thing to even suggest at that time, and even though she’s still not great in the ring, she’s just excelled in her role with the Death Riders, and they’ve done a very nice job building this singles match with Toni Storm. The match kicked off with….well….Marina Shafir using kicks to take down Toni. While Toni did try to fight back with a choke, Marina quickly fought that off to regain control. Following a back suplex on the floor, Marina propped Storm up against the announce desk for more kicks, but after Marina kicked the announce desk hard when Toni avoided one of those kicks, that finally gave her the chance to fight back….or should I say….bite back, as she immediately started biting Marina’s toes (gross).
Once back in the ring, Toni responded with a series of German Suplexes and a trio of running hip attacks in the corner. A Storm Zero followed, but Marina managed to kick out. Marina then tried for Mother’s Milk, though Toni managed to escape with more biting, though it was Marina’s breasts that Toni bit this time. A Small Package followed, and Storm got the win. This was easily Marina’s best match in AEW, and it’s no surprise that it came against one of the better wrestlers in the AEW women’s division. It wasn’t a long match, and it didn’t need to be. Marina did what she did well, which involved her kicks along with the rest of her MMA-based offense, but it was one mistake that opened the door for Toni Storm to mount her comeback. For what this was, I would definitely call this a success. ***1/4
Afterwards, while Toni Storm was celebrating on the stage, Ronda Rousey came through the crowd and into the ring before motioning to Toni Storm to come face her in the ring. Toni did so, and as security separated the two, Marina Shafir managed to knock out Toni with a cheat shot. She then left with Ronda as they did this great transition into Jon Moxley’s entrance for the next match. Obviously Ronda has this big MMA fight coming up in a few months on Netflix against Gina Carano, but I highly doubt they would do this angle if the plan wasn’t for Ronda to face Toni Storm in a match at some point. It’ll definitely be curious to see when that match eventually takes place (also, Ronda Rousey as part of the Death Riders is SUCH a great fit).
AEW Continental Title – No Time Limit
Jon Moxley (c) def. Konosuke Takeshita
Sean: These two had a really fun match at Grand Slam Australia which ended in a Time Limit Draw, setting up this No Time Limit Rematch. We got some of the usual early shots between these two to start off, with Takeshita connecting with the Takeshita Line while Moxley responded with a dive to the floor. Eventually, Moxley started to target the leg of Takeshita, which is ironic given that Moxley’s leg/ankle was such a huge part of his story in the back half of 2025. From Half Boston Crabs to Figure Four Leglocks and more, Moxley used a variety of submission holds as he worked over the injured leg of Takeshita. While Takeshita did manage to retort with the Bastard Driver/Wheelbarrow German Combination, as well as a big knee strike, the leg was still bothering him. After a double stomp by Moxley on the apron, Takeshita got busted open above his left eye (he was already dealing with a black eye), and as Moxley targeted the cut, the crowd really started to get behind Takeshita.
Following a strike exchange, Takeshita connected with a Top Rope Exploder, and really started to take the fight to Moxley. The two then had an awesome exchange of suplexes before Takeshita kicked out at one after a Moxley lariat. Takeshita finally managed to connect with the Raging Fire, but was slow to follow up with the cover, allowing Moxley enough time to recover for a kickout. Moxley responded with the Death Rider, but Takeshita somehow didn’t stay down. The crowd exploded when Takeshita kicked out of a Super Death Rider from the top rope, but that just signaled the beginning of the end for Takeshita. The crowd urged him to fight through a Moxley choke, and while Takeshita showed his defiance, he ultimately passed out in the choke, and the referee had no choice but to call for the bell.
This match kicked so much ass. It did take a little bit to get there, but once it did, it was absolutely rocking. Moxley was incredible, continuing the amazing work he’s done since the Continental Classic and throughout this Continental Title reign. He’s truly firing on all cylinders right now. As for Takeshita, he was fantastic as well, and showed off the kind of heart and the fighting spirit that you want to see out of a guy who’s going to be a top babyface in this promotion. The leg work by Moxley set up Takeshita’s comeback, and the crowd reactions, perfectly. Much like FTR vs. The Young Bucks, the fans in Los Angeles got behind the challenger, and were pulling for Takeshita to fight through and get the win, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Takeshita did shake Moxley’s hand after the fact, so once the breakup with the Don Callis Family finally takes place, the fans are totally ready to accept Takeshita as a top babyface. ****3/4
We’re three-for-three on post matches angles on this PPV so far, as after Takeshita left the ring, the lights went out, and a video aired showing off Will Ospreay recovering to 100% (it was definitely on the goofier side, but I didn’t mind it) before Ospreay came out to a thunderous reaction from the Los Angeles crowd. Of course, the Death Riders were the ones who took out Ospreay in storyline, so he stormed the ring and sent the Death Riders packing single handedly. Given how much Ospreay did here, it’s very clear that this dude is back, which is obviously amazing news. Obviously you worry about him coming off neck surgery (especially since it sounded fairly serious), but wrestlers are maniacs, so it doesn’t surprise me that Ospreay is back six months after his surgery. A match with Moxley is clearly coming sooner rather than later, and I cannot wait for that one.
AEW Women’s World Tag Team Titles
Megan Bayne & Lena Kross def. Babes Of Wrath (Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale) (c)
Sean: Willow came into this match selling a bad shoulder following the beating she took both in the match earlier in the night and in the post-match attack. Also, the team of Megan Bayne and Lena Kross are now known as The Divine Dominion (I’m sure some people will be thrilled to know we’re getting more tag team names in the women’s tag team division). This was a relatively short match, and even though Willow and Harley got small spurts of offense in, this was essentially a squash match. You couldn’t have put these two over stronger, and the fact that they pinned Willow really put an exclamation point on the title change. I would’ve preferred if they had pinned Harley, but pinning Willow (who was selling storyline injuries as I mentioned earlier) was definitely more emphatic. Plus, she’s still the TBS Champion, so that lessens the blow of the loss for sure. **1/4
Suit: I’m just hopping in here live, although I did see the end of the last match and Ospreay’s return. An awesome FTR match, Ronda Rousey showing up, and Will Ospreay coming back. I don’t think there could’ve been 90 minutes of a wrestling show more for me, but I missed it. I was able to get in for this match, with Kross and Bayne winning the tag titles in a relatively easy manner. They handled Harley, then double chokeslammed Willow straight to hell to win the titles. I’d ix-nay the new champion graphics on the video board, as that’s straight off NXT/WWE TV, and annoys me personally. And as we all know, the #1 thing pro wrestling needs to do is not annoy me. **1/2
Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) def. Brody King
Sean: “Fuck ICE” chants filled the former Staples Center (I will not refer to it by its current name) as this match got underway. These two wasted no time going right after each other, and as Brody King went for a Cannonball in the corner, Swerve immediately cut him off with the House Call, and followed up by sending him into the post on the floor. As Swerve tore up the mats on the floor, that gave Brody enough time to recover, and he dropped Swerve back first on the barricade. More “Fuck Ice” chants broke out as the two battled it out on the turnbuckle, but the action once again spilled out to the floor, and Brody dropped Swerve on the floor with a Bossman/Black Hole Slam (whichever you prefer). Despite taking that hellacious bump, Swerve managed to recover enough to power Brody up for a powerbomb on the apron.
Back in the ring, Brody managed to avoid a curb stomp into the exposed bottom turnbuckle, and followed up with a Diving Body Press off the top rope. However, it didn’t take long for the action to once again go to the floor, as Swerve managed to connect with a Vertabreaker on the exposed floor (that was SICK). Brody was able to beat the count. From there, Brody tried his best to fight through a barrage of offense from Swerve, but it wasn’t enough. Swerve connected with the House Call, and got the pin. This wasn’t as amazing as some of the other matches on this card, but it was still pretty great. The thing that made this particular bout so cool to watch was the creativity. This was a straight wrestling match, but to prove that they were two of the most violent and dangerous men in AEW, the whole ring and the general ringside area was their weapon. Whether it was the turnbuckle, the post, the apron, or the floor, these two used whatever they could to inflict damage on each other, within the restrictions of a normal match with no additional stipulations. They could’ve gimmicked this up with a hardcore stipulation, but with Texas Death happening later in the night, they didn’t need to, and were able to give us something a little more memorable as a result. ****1/4
Afterwards, we got yet another return, as Kenny Omega ran out to make the save when it looked like Swerve was going to curb stomp Brody King into a cinderblock. I would think the Omega/Swerve rematch is going to happen at the Dynasty PPV next month, and as great as their first match was, I’m sure they’ll have an even better bout in a bigger spot.
Suit: Swerve had a Candyman motif as Bryan Danielson hopped on the call. That’s an extra quarter star right there. I was worried about the chemistry between these two, but they melded very well and had an awesome match. They structured this match in a way that I appreciated, setting up big spots earlier than expected, then paying them off in the closing stretch. The big spot was Swerve exposing the concrete under the mats on the floor in the first few minutes of the match, then not using it until the back end of the match, where he hit a vertebreaker on the concrete to a big reaction. That led to the end of the match, with Swerve chopping Brody down with House Calls until he finally put him down for the count.
After the match, Swerve went for his handy-dandy cinder block to take Brody out, but Kenny Omega made the save to continue that feud. A great win for Swerve, and a loss that didn’t dehabilitate Brody. ****
AEW Women’s World Title – 2/3 Falls
Thekla (c) [2] def. Kris Statlander [1]
Sean: This was an… interesting choice for a stipulation, given that their most recent encounter was a bloody and violent Strap Match. However, they are 1-1 against each other, so I suppose 2/3 Falls makes sense in that regard. Statlander just overpowered Thekla in the early going, with the first major spot being a delayed vertical superplex from Statlander. Thekla finally responded with a consecutive series of kicks to the head, and after a brief back-and-forth, Thekla caught Statlander in a bridging pin, and got the first fall after using the ropes for extra leverage. They briefly brawled on the floor to start the second fall, but Thekla was in firm control once the action returned to the ring. After hitting a Spider Suplex, Thekla’s high crossbody to the floor ended up with Statlander catching her, and followed up with repeatedly slamming Thekla’s body into the barricade (similar to Claudio when he does the Giant Swing into the barricade) before catapulting her into the steel steps.
Shortly thereafter, Statlander scored the second fall after hitting Sunday Night Fever. Unfortunately, referee Paul Turner got taken out as soon as the third fall started. Thekla stole Turner’s belt from his pants and tried to use it as a weapon, but Statlander got the belt from her and whipped Thekla with it. She then fought off attempted interference from Julia Hart and Skye Blue, though when she tried to use the belt again, Turner had recovered. He took the belt from Statlander, and that allowed Thekla to hit the spear on Statlander. A series of curb stomps followed to close out the match, as Thekla retained her championship. This was a fairly good bout between these two, though to be honest, I preferred their first two matches. Those were legit notebook matches (at least for me). The wackiness we saw in the third fall with the referee bump, the interference from the Sisters Of Sin (though I guess that will be a trademark of Thekla’s title defense in general), and Paul Turner taking the belt back unquestionably took this one down a notch or two, though it was still a very solid match on the whole. ***1/2
Suit: The first fall was a quick one, as Thekla stole it with a roll-up that had rope leverage. Statlander fired up in the second fall, really dominating Thekla and putting her through the ringer before dropping her with the Staturday Night Fever for the second fall. The third fall was strap-based, as this entire feud has been, with Thekla bumping the ref and taking his belt. Statlander got the belt and wore Thekla and the Spooky Sisters out with it, but the ref took the belt away (as he did earlier to Thekla), leading to a spear and a pair of stomps for the third fall and the retention for Thekla. A weak heel finish, but it played into the story, and it was another good match. ***1/2
AEW World Trios Titles
Mistico & JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey) def. The Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, & Mark Davis) (c)
Sean: Both teams had special entrance gear in this one. JetSpeed came out wearing these Mistico themed masks, but they weren’t just for show, as they actually wrestled in them for the first few minutes of the match (though the heels eventually took them off for heat). Meanwhile, Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis came out wearing these super cool jackets. We got some brief interactions between Mistico and Okada to start this one off, but the Don Callis Family quickly gained the advantage after Davis just tossed Kevin Knight over the top rope and onto Mistico and Speedball. It wouldn’t take long for the babyface side to make a comeback with their high flying offense, and after three simultaneous dives to the floor, it became a more even affair.
Okada had a lot going on during the middle portion of this match, as he had a more extended exchange with Mistico before getting into a dropkick battle with Kevin Knight. From there, the match broke down as bodies were flying all over the ring. Mistico and JetSpeed all connected with big moves on the apron before Speedball connected with a Shooting Star Press on Fletcher for a nearfall. The Don Callis Family’s attempts to cheat were thwarted, and Bailey nearly had Fletcher beat with Ultimate Weapon before Davis broke up the fall. Davis then went on a tear, wiping out both members of JetSpeed with piledrivers. Mistico was able to make the save, and held down Fletcher so that Knight could hit the UFO Splash over both of them and onto Davis. He connected with it, and got the pin!
I love how Tony Khan is finally booking these AEW World Trios Titles like New Japan’s NEVER Six-Man Tag Team Titles were originally booked, with frequent title changes. These aren’t titles that need to be MIA on teams like Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed, or stuck on teams like Bullet Club Gold or The Patriarchy who do nothing with them. They should be defended on television and PPV fairly regularly, and it’s ok if they change hands a bunch. It’s not going to hurt the prestige of these titles one bit. The match itself was very good, with plenty of solid action throughout. It did feel like the crowd had started to lose a little bit of steam at this point, but they still reacted at various times throughout this bout. I didn’t have any problems with a title change here. It’s nice to see JetSpeed get a big bounceback win after some tough losses as of late, and the title win also served as the perfect opportunity to announce that Mistico was All Elite! I’m sure it’s a dual contract with CMLL, but it’s nice to know that he won’t be going to the other side anytime soon. ***3/4
Suit: Look at the names in this match. The bell rang, and the first pairing was Kazuchika Okada and Mistico. That’s a pairing that could sell out buildings all over the world, including in Los Angeles. Everyone got their shine in this PWG-ass trios match, especially Mark Davis (no relation to Danny) in the closing stretch. In a stunning finish, at least to me, Kevin Knight got the pin as he flew over Mistico’s La Mistica on Fletcher to hit Davis with the UFO Splash. Your new trios champions are the team I am now dubbing Espectaculo Aereo.
While everyone thought this match would say more about Knight’s future, it ended up saying more about Mistico’s as he got an All Elite graphic post-match. What a redemptive story for him, coming back from the failed WWE run to regain the stardom he had lost and coming back to America as the star he truly is. This show has been great, and I apparently missed an excellent 90 minutes to start the show. ****
Andrade El Idolo def. Bandido
Sean: Bandido came out wearing Super Dragon themed gear, which looked absolutely amazing. We got some fun back-and-forth exchanges between the two early on, and this included a spot where Bandido attempted to take off his tearaway pants. He had some trouble though, so Andrade just jumped him (if Bandido legit had trouble taking off his pants, then that was a nice audible by Andrade). Following a brief exchange on the floor, a Bandido springboard attempt was countered by a powerbomb, and Andrade then proceeded to take off his tearaway pants (not as fast as Taichi though), much to the delight of the fans in Los Angeles.
Following a big dive to the floor, Bandido tried for a frog splash in the ring, but Andrade blocked it. The two then took turns trading Three Amigos (Andrade did the traditional suplexes while Bandido did German Suplexes). Bandido got a huge nearfall off a Shooting Star Press, but Andrade was quick to respond as he hit a massive moonsault over the post and to the floor. The continued with more wild exchanges, which included an insane kick from Bandido before hitting a deadlift 21 Plex that the crowd popped huge for. Andrade fired back with a nasty back elbow, and followed up with The DM off the second rope for the win.
What an awesome match this was. These two just went out there and put on a spectacular contest that featured awesome action from start to finish. It’s no surprise that Bandido delivered in a big spot. We already know how great he is. When it comes to Andrade, I totally get why there was some trepidation about him coming back to AEW, given his previous backstage issues in the company and how quickly he went back to WWE when he got the chance. At this stage, however, there’s no denying that this guy has been a home run since his return. He’s already had some strong matches on AEW television against some of the company’s top stars, and he had another strong outing here. The guy feels motivated (let’s not forget his work with New Japan as well), and he’s delivered when the situation has called for him to step up and perform. Will that change when he’s no longer being pushed as someone that’s in the World Title orbit? Time will tell, but right now, it can’t be denied that Andrade is doing some of the best work of his entire career. This match with Bandido was probably the best match he’s had since his return to the company. ****1/2
Suit: Bandido with a Super Dragon mask earns an extra quarter star. I think the Mistico signing has primed this crowd for this match, as this has real Match of the Year potential between two Mexican stars at the absolute peak of their powers. Andrade has inherited the Jeff Hardy pop for taking his britches off. Road Warrior who?
This match didn’t hit the heights that I was hoping for, but it was still excellent work that you would expect from these two. The closing stretch here was excellent, with Bandido hitting a 21 Plex to Andrade, pulling him up as he was lying on the mat. Andrade caught another X-Knee, but flipped out of a traditional 21 Plex and hit the Judas Effect before landing the DM off the ropes for the win. This crowd is getting a bit tired, but the work on this show continues to be at an unbelievable level. ****1/4
Tornado Trios Match
Darby Allin & The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong) def. The Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay, & Gabe Kidd)
Sean: These six were in a tough spot, sandwiched between an amazing Andrade vs. Bandido match and Texas Death Match main event. It started off as a three-on-three brawl, but what woke the crowd up big time was an insane spear by Clark Connors through the ropes on Darby Allin, which sent both of them crashing hard to the floor. From there, The Dogs managed to trap Darby in the turnbuckle with the chair he was wearing around his neck, thus making it a three-on-two situation for the time being. Once Orange and Strong managed to fight off The Dogs, they were able to free Darby, who immediately hit a Coffin Drop to all three members of The Dogs on the floor.
As the match continued in the ring, Darby and Gabe brawled up the ramp, and once Darby landed right on Gabe’s head with the skateboard, he zip-tied him to the stage. This left The Dogs at a three-on-two disadvantage, and eventually led to Clark Connors getting pinned. As I already mentioned, these guys were in a difficult position, but that didn’t stop them from working their asses off and having a very good match. All six guys had moments to shine throughout, and it was pretty entertaining on the whole. Based on what happened here with Gabe and Darby, I highly doubt their issues are over. ***1/2
Suit: A tough spot, but that’s what the money’s for. These guys worked their asses off to make the most of it. Clark Connors woke up in 2026, and he woke this crowd up with a spear to Darby off the apron. Roddy got his hot tag, including tossing Orange around as a weapon. Darby got tied to the corner with a tag rope, giving the match a handicap edge, but Cassidy eventually cut him free and slipped him a ziptie. Darby eventually used the ziptie to cuff Kidd to the stage after hitting an ollie onto Kidd’s head. The babyfaces got the win, with Strong dumping Cassidy onto Connors for the win. Good stuff for the spot. ***3/4
AEW World Title – Texas Death Match
MJF (c) def. “Hangman” Adam Page
Sean: Of course, the big additional stipulation in this main event is that Adam Page will no longer challenge for the AEW World Title ever again if he were to lose this Texas Death Match. MJF came out wearing Terry Funk style tights, which was an interesting choice for sure. As expected, the match started out as a brawl that quickly spilled out into the crowd. Once he stopped MJF in his tracks with a trash can lid, Hangman got out a birthday card, and used it to give MJF some paper cuts before stapling the card to MJF’s chest. Hangman then introduced a window, and after MJF broke the window (thinking it would prevent Hangman from using it), Hangman just slammed MJF on the broken glass a few moments later, before dragging MJF chest-first through the glass.
Hangman utilized barbed wire to bust MJF open before then using it to attempt to put a permanent smile on his face (Heath Ledger Joker style). MJF then got his chance to bust Hangman open before slamming and dragging him through the glass. He then introduced a syringe and gave Hangman a taste of the same punishment that Page himself dished out to Swerve at All Out 2024. A barbed wire chair was introduced, and both guys took turns dropping each other on it. Hangman managed to get the better on that exchange, but miscalculated on a moonsault attempt to the floor, which allowed MJF a brief respite. That didn’t last long, however, as MJF ate a Dead Eye off the apron and through a table moments later.
Unfortunately for Hangman, MJF was able to return the favor with a Tombstone off the apron through a table on the floor. This would lead to a duel with light tubes on the ramp which Hangman got the better of. Skewers were then introduced, with MJF getting a bunch of them stuck in his before eating a Buckshot Lariat. Hangman was in firm control at this stage as he introduced a Dog Collar (giving MJF flashbacks to Revolution 2022) that he attached the two of them to. A long setup involving a table and a barbed wire board (the crowd chanted “We Want Fire” during this) led to MJF sending Hangman through it. The brawl went back up to the stage, and the two went crashing through an exploding production table for another ten count tease. More near finishes were exchanged in the ring, but just as Hangman was on the verge of winning, MJF clocked him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring, and hung him with the chain over the ropes. As Hangman collapsed, his head collided with the camera lens, leaving a massive bloodstain on it as the referee counted Hangman out. MJF survived everything Hangman threw at him, and retained the AEW World Title. Thus, per the stipulation, Hangman can no longer challenge for the title.
As a whole, the match itself was very good. If we’re comparing the main event of last year’s Revolution (Moxley vs. Copeland) to this year’s edition of the event, MJF vs. Hangman blew that one out of the water. So the good news is that what was already a spectacular show wasn’t hindered by an incredibly weak main event. That being said, I didn’t think this was an outstanding match by any means. For me, even though the match had some pretty cool spots, it also dragged….A LOT. I have no idea how long this match actually went, but I think the decision to go as long as they did was a mistake on their part. I understand wanting to do something more methodical, especially given the stipulation, but I don’t think that was needed here. This match just lacked a certain energy at various points, and that came through with the crowd as well. Of course they came alive for the bigger spots of the match, but at other points, it sounded like they were pretty dead. Again, that’s not meant to take anything away from either guy. They worked their asses off in this one, and it was still a strong match. In my view, however, it could’ve been even better had they worked it at a bit of a faster pace while also cutting several minutes, if not more, off the length (Hangman having these long control periods where he was dominating MJF also made it pretty obvious to me that MJF was winning, which didn’t help matters either).
With regards to the result itself, it’s fascinating that Hangman not only lost to MJF, but lost to him fairly cleanly. There was no disputed finish or interference that cost Hangman the match. Sure, MJF used the Dynamite Diamond Ring on that final shot before he choked him out, but that was well within the rules of the Texas Death Match (and far from the most dangerous weapon used). I am surprised that they’ve gone with this direction of permanently icing Hangman out of the World Title picture, though doing it now in 2026 AEW is very different from when Cody did it in 2019 AEW. Hangman has already been World Champion a couple of times already, and with so many other titles in the promotion, there’s plenty of other things for Hangman to do outside of the World Title scene. It’s definitely got me interested to see what they’ve got up their sleeves with Hangman in both the short term and the long term, and ultimately, that’s probably the point. The whole idea behind doing this finish is that they want all of us to ask “Where does Hangman go from here?”, and to tune into AEW television to follow that story in the weeks, months, and years to come. Will Hangman exist in AEW just fine outside the World Title scene? Will this lead to a heel turn? Will they find some silly way….or maybe even a clever way….to break the stipulation? In that regard, they accomplished their plan, or at least the first part of their plan. How the fanbase will react to that remains to be seen, but I for one couldn’t be more intrigued by everything that comes from this Hangman loss. ****
Suit: At the start of this match, Excalibur talked about the history between these two men. It all started at the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing 2019, in the very first match in the history of the company. In that match, Hangman Page last threw MJF over the top rope to earn a shot at the AEW World Title.
In this match, the 4,253rd match in AEW history, MJF threw Hangman Page over the top rope to not only retain the AEW World Title, but to ensure that Page would never challenge for it ever again.
That result came at the end of a long, bloated Texas Death Match. This was less the Texas Death Matches of AEW’s past, and more of a Last Man Standing match with a lot more spots based around the ten-count. Page played around with MJF to start, but things got serious and bloody very quickly. There was glass, barbed wire, and tables galore.
The key weapon was Hangman pulling out what we thought was just a chain, but ended up being a dog collar, calling back to MJF’s Dog Collar match with [REDACTED] at Revolution 2022. MJF panicked and tried to flee, but the collar was on, and the two remained chained together for the rest of the match. They flew off the stage into some pyro tables. Hangman stuck skewers into MJF’s head and hit the Buckshot for a striking visual. MJF even hit Hangman with the belt in an attempt to make sure it was the last time Page ever touched it.
But none of it was enough. The story of Hangman Page is that of a tragedy. So, when Hangman went for one final Buckshot, MJF punched him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. He shoved Hangman over the top rope and choked him out with the chain, literally hoisting Page with his own pitard. Hangman fell lifeless to the floor, his head leaving a blood stain on the camera in a beautiful visual. The referee counted Page down and out. To the shock of the sold-out Crypto.com Arena, the main character of All Elite Wrestling can never again hold its main championship. MJF unshackled himself from Page, metaphorically and literally, before standing atop Page on his stretcher to stand tall, still the AEW World Champion.
I could’ve done with about 15 minutes less here. I get that it’s Page’s last ever challenge for the belt, but the match just kept going. I didn’t feel the energy AEW TEXAS DEATH usually gives, though that may have been because this feud wasn’t a blood feud going in. Honestly, I wouldn’t have gone notebook on it until the finish. The finish was a phenomenal way to wrap up the chapter between these two men, this chapter of the company, and this chapter of the Hangman’s career. The chain that gave Page his redemption was the same chain that cost him everything he’d been fighting for. It’s beautiful, it’s tragic, and it’s the kind of storytelling that’s earned him the rabid fanbase he’s earned. The main character of AEW went All In, and he went broke.
This is a stunning result on paper, but when you look at the landscape of AEW, you can see what the company is going for. Page has been tied to the World Title since day one of the promotion. But as the company evolves, moving into year eight, some characters will be left behind. AEW will continue, with Page remaining a part of it. There will just be a new main character leading the revolution. ****
