Every Match Ranked & Reviewed

On the road to the All Out 2026 PPV, AEW took over the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia for the September 16 edition of AEW Dynamite. The show featured some huge multi-man matches involving the likes of AEW World Champion Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley, Darby Allin, Adam Copeland, FTR, and more, plus a first-time-ever showdown between Chris Jericho and up-and-comer Nick Wayne.

TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across every match on AEW Dynamite this week to determine the best match on the show, the weakest showcase on the card, and how everything else stacked up in between too as we inch closer to All Out.

6

Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Myles Hawkins

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6/10

Tommaso Ciampa sought to conjure up some momentum on AEW Dynamite this week in his journey to try and win back a title after his loss of the TNT Championship, battling enhancement talent Myles Hawkins.

As far as squash matches go, this was all about making the most of your time, as Hawkins’ over-the-top posing and posturing made his ultimate decimation all the more entertaining. After taking off his entrance attire, he fell victim to the most vicious running knee to hand Ciampa a fun win. Of course, a match lasting less than a minute can only reach a certain quality, but this was as good as you’ll get.

5

Lena Kross Vs. Jamie Hayter

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6/10

After The Brawling Birds won the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championships at All In, their feud with Divine Dominion has continued, resulting in this latest singles match between the clubbing pair of Lena Kross and Jamie Hayter. Kross wasted little time in this one, attacking Hayter during her entrance. The bout featured plenty of stiff strikes, hard slams, and hard-hitting offense, but the action did run slow in places with Kross’ dominance lasting for way too long.

Unfortunately, the lack of energy from the crowd did negatively impact this one, as Hayter’s comeback didn’t have much investment. Megan Bayne arrived to cause a distraction, allowing Kross to take a cheap shot with a title belt, before hitting her finisher for a lackluster victory.

4

Chris Jericho Vs. Nick Wayne

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.25/10

After outlasting the likes of Tommaso Ciampa and Ricochet since returning to AEW programming, Chris Jericho’s next challenge saw him come up against Nick Wayne on AEW Dynamite. The audience were pretty invested in this contest, though there is no denying that the opening half was slow and plodding in places. Both Wayne & Jericho put in decent character-driven performances and got the crowd rocking with big moments, ensuring the action got better as it went on, even if it dragged.

In a rather weak finish, Wayne was distracted by his necklace breaking, allowing Jericho to roll up Wayne and escape with a victory.

3

The Death Riders Vs. United Empire

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

The main event of AEW Dynamite this week saw Will Ospreay lead United Empire members Andrade El Idolo and Francesco Akira against The Death Riders trio of Jon Moxley, PAC, and Gabe Kidd. Following a fast-paced start, The Death Riders predictably took control in a dominant spree centered on Akira, who needed to find willpower and resilience to eventually bring in Andrade for a hot tag.

The action soon broke down as members of both teams met with electric sequences, strong in-ring work, brutal strikes, and more, providing plenty of excitement and quality. In the end, The Death Riders worked together to isolate Akira, allowing Moxley to choke him out.

2

Adam Page & Brodido Vs. The Conglomeration (AEW World Trios Titles Number One Contenders)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.5/10

The red hot AEW trios division saw two former champions battle it out to become the new number one contenders for The New Level & Swerve Strickland as Adam Page & Brodido took on The Conglomeration. There was both plenty of fun and strong in-ring work during this match, with much of the bout focused upon Orange Cassidy’s antics and the frustration shown by Roderick Strong.

Both babyface trios shared periods of control and momentum, keeping the pace strong and the crowd invested. Adam Page won the match with a Buckshot Lariat, earning a shot at the AEW World Trios Titles at All Out.

1

Cage & Cope, Darby Allin & Steven Borden Vs. FTR, Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8/10

Eight wrestlers with interweaving histories and hatred battled in a chaotic opening match to AEW Dynamite this week as AEW World Tag Team Champions Cage & Cope teamed with TNT Champion Darby Allin & new ally Steven Borden battled FTR, Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight. The match had a steady but hot start early on, with everyone getting a chance to shine, along with some wild multi-man brawling both inside and outside the ring. The heels would slow things down with an apron powerbomb to Allin, taking control for a period.

Borden eventually came in for the crowd-pleasing hot tag, before the heels turned the tide again. The action eventually broke down, getting more chaotic with everyone involved, leading to a series of finishers, some cheating from Cage, and a Scorpion Death Drop/Coffin Drop combination to hand the babyfaces the win.