AEW Dynamite recap & reactions (Sept. 3, 2025): Kenny Omega neck injury

AEW closed Dynamite (Sep. 3, 2025) with an injury angle for Kenny Omega, and it left me scratching my head for how this fits into the All Out PPV. Also on the broadcast from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Darby Allin took Gabe Kidd for a ride inside a body bag, Mercedes Moné’s tough TBS title defense was followed by the return of Riho, and more.

Main event injury

The all-star main event was Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, & JetSpeed against Kyle Fletcher, Josh Alexander, & the Young Bucks. They brought the fire as expected for these crazy 8-man tags. Enjoy a piledriver party.

In the end, the villains prevailed. The Bucks aided Alexander on an assisted piledriver to Kevin Knight. Alexander passed Knight over to Fletcher for a brainbuster to seal the deal in victory.

I was watching this contest through the lens of figuring out who would wrestle Hangman at All Out. It doesn’t look like Omega will get a world title shot. He worked well with Hangman in their reunion as a team. So, perhaps Hangman & Omega in rematch against the Bucks? This match teased plenty of hot exchanges there. That could have been an option if not for the post-match injury angle.

The bad guys attacked. Fletcher suplexed Hangman onto a chair, then he suplexed Omega through a table. Damn!

Medics rushed over to place a neck brace on Omega. Fletcher shouted at Hangman that it was supposed to be him.

AEW posted the stretcher job on social media.

So, I guess Fletcher is the choice to challenge Hangman for the AEW World Championship? Surely, Hangman will want revenge, so the match makes sense in that regard. It seems odd to rush Fletcher into a loss at All Out (there is no way Hangman is losing the title this quickly to anyone but MJF) while he is building his star power as TNT champion. As for Kenny, he is living the South Park gimmick. I lost count how many stretcher jobs he’s done this year. Aside from trying to figure out the pieces ahead of time, the scene built lots of heat on Fletcher. In that sense, it was a success.

Darby Allin madness

The Death Riders were the focal point of the episode as the catalyst for stories branching out from there with Hook, Kris Statlander, and Brodido defending the tag titles. The most entertaining aspect was Darby Allin as a mad man. He put Gabe Kidd in a body bag and dragged him from a truck. It was a hilarious piece of sports entertainment.

Kidd opened the show by calling out Allin for a fight. Allin obliged with reckless abandon. Wheeler Yuta joined the fracas, so Allin treated him to a free back massage by jumping off the turnbuckles to land his skateboard with tacks onto Yuta’s spine. The D-Rider had tacks stuck in his back.

Allin and Kidd brawled backstage. Kidd tried to hit his enemy with a hammer. Allin responded with pocket sand to the eyes and smothering Kidd’s face with dirty underwear. Commentary called it powder and a chemical agent. Next came the body bag spot. That was the last we saw of Kidd on the evening.

That was a gangbusters way to start Dynamite. Allin’s entertaining antics draw in attention to see what happens next. That body bag moment was pumped full of rowdiness, and it sets up a hot matchup against Kidd. If AEW is stretching out time before delivering Allin versus Moxley, the roadblock of Kidd is now a worthwhile opponent for a big match on its own.

In the midst of that fighting, Hook made a fashionable arrival to help Allin in the ring. His thunder was usurped when Samoa Joe and Will Hobbs ran past him into the action.

Backstage, Joe and Hook had a convo. Hook didn’t want them fighting his fights, and he sure as hell didn’t appreciate being replaced by Hobbs so quickly. Joe calmly explained that The Opps are about opportunity. When Hook wasn’t ready to go, Hobbs stepped up. No matter what Hook thinks, The Opps will have his back, whether he likes it or not. Hook pouted to exit the screen.

This is a good scene by Joe showing leadership. I can’t say the same for Hook. He came across like a whiny punk with an undeserved ego. I’ll say this again. If the plan is for Hook to turn heel, proceed as is. If the plan is to keep Hook as a babyface, this doesn’t help at all.

On the recruitment tip, Moxley passed the message that the Death Riders have Kris Statlander’s back. This scene is great in the way that so much is going on. From Statlander’s wrath pep talk to Harley Cameron challenging Brodido to Stat’s annoyance at Yuta to Marina Shafir mad dogging.

The Death Riders looked to collect the AEW tag titles from Brodido. Brody King had different plans. Sound on for King’s chops to tenderize Claudio.

A distraction from Shafir led to Moxley’s personal involvement to ram King into the ring post. The rocket launcher splash wasn’t enough to put Bandido down for three. Brodido received help to even the odds when Allin ran in to choke Moxley.

That action turned the tide for the champs to retain. King connected his fists to faces. That set up Bandido for the 21 Plex on Yuta to win.

Solid tag team action. I would have preferred a deeper build, because Claudio and Yuta are a legit duo. I think these teams could have a nice feud. Instead, the match became a throwaway title defense to progress the angle between Allin and Moxley. We’ll just have to enjoy it for what it was. A cool match.

With the Death Riders out of the world title picture, AEW has done a good job of keeping them relevant by being the straw that stirs the drink for so many other wrestlers. Revenge and recruitment keep Moxley’s band of hooligans interesting.

Let’s jam through the rest of Dynamite. Catch up on all the details with excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth.

TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné defeated Alex Windsor to retain the title, plus Riho’s surprise return. The story of the match was Windsor trying to tap out Mercedes on the Sharpshooter. The challenger worked that submission throughout. She successfully applied the hold a few times, and Mercedes actually did tap again, except it was on the floor.

In the end, Mercedes slapped on the Statement Maker. Windsor was able to escape. When she went back to the CEO’s legs for the Sharpshooter, Mercedes rolled her up to win.

After the match, Windsor showed sportsmanship to offer respect. Mercedes dissed that gesture, so the fisticuffs were back on. Mercedes slapped on her submission again. That’s when Riho made a surprise return for the save to stand tall holding the TBS belt. AEW booked Mercedes versus Riho in a title match for All Out.

That was an engaging story inside the ring. It was simple yet effective. Windsor was so focused on tapping out the champ that she made a vital mistake to get caught. Bragging rights don’t count for much since Windsor lost, but it was a funny moment to see her tap out Mercedes on the floor. Windsor was protected in defeat with toughness to withstand the Statement Maker. The surprise of Riho was a nice touch. The former world champ still has appeal to the fans as a special attraction.

Mark Briscoe defeated Lancer Archer. Prior to the contest, Briscoe had some words for Don Callis. Dat Boy didn’t want to wait to earn his TNT title shot. Callis threw the dog a bone to reveal the opponent for Collision. Briscoe will face Konosuke Takeshita. Briscoe was down for that, however, he was dressed to fight now. Callis obliged to send in the Murderhawk Monster. Archer served a beating. Briscoe survived a buckle bomb and chokeslam combo to rally for an avalanche sunset flip powerbomb and a froggy bow to win.

That was a fun impromptu match. Briscoe slayed the monster for an impressive win that gives him instant momentum toward the TNT title. Looking forward to Collision, Briscoe versus Takeshita is interesting matchmaking. Briscoe should win according to story, but Takeshita should win based on résumé coming off the G1 Climax crown. I’m very curious to see how that one plays out.

Speaking of another reason why Takeshita shouldn’t lose, the feud with Okada is churning. The Rainmaker claimed to be the top dog of the Callis Family, (spicy expletive).

Notes: Adam Copeland’s promo time was swiftly interrupted by FTR for a beatdown. Christian Cage ran out for a melee. Security failed to break it up, so the ROH locker room ran out to keep the peace. FTR executed one of the local talent (I think Jordan Oliver?) on a spike piledriver. Dax Harwood was busted open somewhere along the way. He shoved Adam Priest in the face. Priest didn’t back down and threw fists of his own. Backstage, Priest tried to apologize. FTR weren’t having that. They told Priest to find a partner for a fight on Saturday night.

Ricochet and GOA demanded a trios match against the Hurt Syndicate for All Out. They ended the Hurt Syndicate’s title reign, and now it is time to end their legacy.

MVP was game to suit up for Ricochet’s challenge. The difference between these teams is that Ricochet asks for respect while the Hurt Syndicate commands respect.

Toni Storm delivered a quick promo with her unique brand of humor. The message was that the champ wants challengers.

Daniel Garcia won’t make the same mistake twice when he wrestles Moxley on Collision.

Stud of the Show: Darby Allin

Allin provided the funniest moments of the show with his devious sense of violence.

Match of the Night: Mercedes Moné vs. Alex Windsor

The story of the Sharpshooter hooked my attention.

Grade: B

Wild show putting the puzzle together for All Out.

Share your thoughts about Dynamite. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show? Who impressed you the most?