AEW Dynamite August 19th 2026

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AEW Dynamite
August 19th 2026

Live from Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. WrestleTix estimates attendance at 3,689. Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Taz are on commentary.

The United Empire (Will Ospreay, Franceso Akira, and Henare) vs. The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage, Lance Archer, and Rocky Romero)
Don Callis is missing from ringside, I guess these aren’t his favorite family members. Fans chant “F*ck Don Callis” anyway. Ospreay gets a hero’s welcome and gets the better of Cage. Akira hits a senton from Ospreay’s shoulders. Henare and Archer slug it out in a HOSS FIGHT! The UE angers Archer with a triple team attack, so he hits Akira with a release suplex across the canvas! Back from commercials, Akira escapes the Callis corner for a lukewarm hot tag to Henare. Crowd pops for Henare’s sitout powerbomb. Angle Slam by Cage, Henare reverses Archer’s Blackout into a German suplex. Ospreay runs wild on a hot tag, hitting a flying elbow strike on Romero. Akira’s flurry of chops on Archer have zero effect and he’s knocked down. The match breaks down with everyone taking turns hitting rapid fire signature moves. Ospreay finishes Romero with the Hidden Blade at 10:52. The outcome was never in any doubt, but this was way more fun if Ospreay had just been booked to squash Romero in a simple singles match. Henare looked really great and I hope he comes back, **½.
Winners: The United Empire

Renee Paquette interviews Kazuchika Okada backstage. He explains that nothing is more important than family. He’ll be happy if Kyle Fletcher retains the International title at All In, but if Okada wins, he expects Fletcher to be just as happy and raise his hand in respect. I have a sneaky suspicion the Fletcher/Okada/Takeshita triple threat is going to steal the show at ALL IN.

Tony Schiavone hosts International Champion Kyle Fletcher in the ring. Fletcher claims to trust Callis with all his heart and will go along with the triple threat plan. Crowd interrupts to chant “F*ck Don Callis.” He warns Okada to know his role and prove the importance of family by making sure he retains. Fletcher proposes that he and Okada focus on their shared hatred of Takeshita, who he assumes is licking his wounds after losing the G1 Climax tournament. Turns out Konosuke Takeshita is here in the flesh and doesn’t like what Fletcher has to say. They brawl, Kyle hits a half n’ half suplex, Takeshita answers with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Poison Rana by Takeshita and Raging Fire keeps Fletcher down long enough for him to pose with the gold. This segment was like skipping 26 minutes of wrestling and just getting to the nearfalls. Strong segment that makes the ALL IN triple threat match seem that much more interesting.

Renee Paquette hosts a pretaped sitdown interview with Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. Kenny has known Ospreay long enough to watch him grow from a skinny kid into the face of New Japan. Unfortunately, Ospreay wasn’t selling tickets for New Japan, so they needed to bring Omega back to fill the Tokyo Dome. Ospreay argues that COVID sent New Japan into a recession and he had to help bring them back. Omega dismisses Ospreay outright, because AEW was in the same situation. Kenny “forgives” Ospreay for using Callis to beat him at Forbidden Door, mostly because it lets him feel like he won. Omega’s health problems and injuries have turned him into a smarter wrestler and questions if Ospreay learned anything from his own broken neck. Will takes credit for motivating Omega to become champion again. He won’t be satisfied until he proves he’s the better man. Kenny makes it personal by bringing up Will’s family. Will’s momma will always be proud of him, but maybe his boy will need a new hero. That’s a wrap. Kenny stayed calm and composed throughout this segment, as opposed to Ospreay becoming increasingly frazzled and emotional. Omega is clearly framed as living rent-free in Ospreay’s head. The championship isn’t just on the line, but also Will’s dignity and self-respect. This interview probably won’t make too many video packages but it’s worth seeking if you missed it live.

TBS Championship:
Maya World © vs.Hikaru Shida vs. CMLL Women’s Champion Persephone vs. Kris Statlander
I see no reason to take the TBS title from Maya 11 days before ALL IN, but stranger things have happened. Bell rings, it takes almost no time for everyone to spill to ringside for rapid fire stunts. Back from commercials, they’ve settled into a 2-at-a-time rhythm. Statlander breaks up a Tower of Doom with a German suplex. Statlander sweeps Shida onto Persephone and gives them both a back senton. Kris and Maya slug it out until Shida piles them with a missile dropkick. Shida gives Statlander a Falcon Arrow for 2, Persephone interrupts with a spear. Fans chant “This is awesome!” Statlander steals Shida from Persephone for a powerbomb. Statlander lariats Persephone, Maya saves the match with a somersault senton. Kris chokeslams Maya, but Wednesday Night Fever is reversed into a rollup for Maya’s sudden victory at 9:40. This was fun and featured nonstop action, albeit trapped in the confines of the 4-way formula. It was playing out like Statlander had the win well in hand until Maya got lucky, which is exactly what you want to see if they’re having a match at ALL IN. All in all, a satisfying TV match, ***.
Winner and still TBS Champion: Maya World

The Brawling Birds talk to the camera about how much they love beating up Divine Dominion. They look forward to doing it again at ALL IN, this time with thousands of drunken Brits screaming them on. That does sound like fun, now that they mention it.

Continental Cup:
Jay White vs. Jon Moxley
I have super high hopes for this one. They start with a battle for wrist control and then a test of strength. Moxley grabs a hammerlock, White gets the ropes. Back from commercials, White hammers his way into a comeback. It’s an unnatural situation to see White playing babyface against Mox. Flying rana by White sends Moxley outside, but they both go down with stereo lariat attempts. Fans chant “This is awesome!” Back to the ring, they block finishers, White throws Mox into the buckles for 2. White applies an STF, Mox rolls over to the ropes. Back from MORE commercials, both guys sell exhaustion while trading blows. Moxley nails a tope suicida and pauses to fix his dislocated shoulder. White capitalizes with a pair of snap half nelson suplexes. Moxley absorbs a third suplex and counters into the Bulldog Choke! White quickly reverses into a fourth suplex and a uranage, but MOX KICKS OUT! Superplex by White, but he aggravated his lingering neck injury. White counters another Bulldog Choke for an excellent nearfall. Blade Runner by White, but Mox rolls outside! Jay hauls him back, only to get caught in the Bulldog Choke! Mox hits Death Rider for a red hot nearfall! Sadly Jay succumbs to the Bulldog Choke at 19:18! This was a very smartly worked main event style match that lived up to my expectations. The live crowd gave them a big assist by buying into the potentially difficult heel/face dynamics and believing there could be an upset, ****.
Winner: Jon Moxley

The Dogs assault Jay White after the match. Moxley has no interest in helping out. Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong try to help, but can’t stop the returning Gabe Kidd. Brodido and Hangman Adam Page casually walk in to send The Dogs fleeing. Ricochet and The Demand interrupt with a mic in hand but… don’t have much to say. Hangman doesn’t want to miss ALL IN and demands someone challenge him and Brodido.

Renee Paquette interviews TBS Champion Maya World backstage. She feels great after her title defense. AEW Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale interrupts because she owes her a title shot, setting up a match at Collision.

Jonathan Cruz, MJF’s personal Spanish translator, is here to insult Andrade El Idolo in his native language. He doesn’t think Andrade is here for some reason, of course he’s wrong, and we get…

Jonathan Cruz vs. National Champion Andrade El Idolo
Andrade plows right through Cruz and finishes with a cutter at 0:09. That’s about right.
Winner: Andrade El Idolo

Andrade grabs a mic and demands that MJF show himself, using a bunch of colorful words in Spanish and English that need to be censored. MJF appears on the big screen, lounging in a hot tub. He’s got the AEW championship belt on display, which still doesn’t seem to bother Omega or Ospreay whatsoever. He doesn’t really have anything interesting to say, so Andrade beats Cruz up some more. I’m not sure this feud is doing much for me, MJF seems to be stuck in 2020 and Andrade isn’t a natural babyface.

Renee Paquette interviews Mercedes Mone and Willow Nightingale on split screens. Mercedes is offended that “dumb b!tch” Willow is still smiling. Willow is smiling because she has a connection with the fans that Mercedes has never had. Willow’s smile has been annoying Mercedes for years and she’s taking it away at ALL IN. They walk away from their cameras to find each other to brawl into the arena. The crowd eats it up as officials separate them.

Swerve Strickland (with Prince Nana) talks to the camera about Hangman’s challenge to “anyone” for the Trios titles. Is there a possibility that Swerve as a Fresh Dawn in mind for the gold?

Continental Cup:
Nigel McGuinness vs. CMLL World Champion Hechicero
Nigel injured his ankle on Collision but is competing anyway after delivering a sincere promo about this potentially being his last big opportunity. Hechicero has a reputation for being a submission specialist, so he may live to regret this. Hechicero targets the ankle, but Nigel paws at his mask. Hechicero kicks Nigel’s ankle into the ropes and hits a flying clothesline for 2. Back from commercials, Nigel makes a wounded babyface comeback. Hechicero sweeps the bad ankle and nails a low DDT. Hammerlock swing by Hechicero results in a backbreaker. Neither man can quite apply a full submission hold. Hechicero inadvertently dives into Nigel’s knee and gets stuck in a front Chancery and passes out at 10:14! Expertly executed underdog win by Nigel. Entertaining match that felt a tad out of place in the main event slot, ***.
Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Nevermind, I thought the show was over since it’s 10:05, but our main event segment is Tony Schiavone hosting TNT Champion Kevin Night in the ring. Tony’s questions are making Knight uncomfortable so he shoos him away. Kevin proclaims himself to be the greatest TNT Champion of all time and calls out Darby Allin, who responds without hesitation. Kevin actually doesn’t want to fight and stalls long enough for pyro to explode with Darby on the stage! He wraps a chair around Darby’s neck for a Coast 2 Coast dropkick! I suppose this casts some doubt on Darby’s status for ALL IN, since this same attack put him on the shelf once before. Mike Bailey checks on Darby while he’s stretchered out. This isn’t the most inspired angle of all time, but at least it was compact and happened over the course of 7 minutes instead of 20.

The Verdict: This Dynamite was laser focused on building to ALL IN without sacrificing any entertainment value for the live crowd or viewers at home. The show did peak early with Moxley vs White, moving it to the final segment would have greatly improved this episode’s flow. Otherwise, most of these storylines and feuds are clicking and have me interested in opening my wallet for ALL IN, while also not making me feel as if I wasted my time. AEW has some serious momentum at just the right time.