Wednesday saw the final episode of “AEW Dynamite” before next week’s big Blood & Guts event. While there’s still plenty to sort out on Saturday’s “AEW Collision,” Wednesday’s show was largely table-setting for the big event. As always with “Dynamite,” there was plenty to love—and plenty to hate. Here, we dive into all the good and the bad from this week’s edition in Houston, TX.
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### Highs and Lows on Dynamite
There were dizzying highs, such as Daniel Garcia’s revelatory performance against Darby Allin and a surprising upset in the women’s tag title tournament. Equally, there were frustrating lows, like the questionable segment involving FTR and Bandido’s grandmother, and the way Athena was pinned in that tournament shocker.
Our staff weighed in on what worked and what didn’t from this week’s show.
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### Women’s Tag Team Wrestling Is Back
Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron scored an extraordinary victory over the seemingly unbeatable team of TBS Champion Mercedes Mone and ROH Women’s World Champion Athena on Wednesday’s episode. This match had everything: hard-hitting action from Nightingale, agile technical work from Mone and Athena, a lovable protagonist in Cameron, and a shocking yet sensible ending.
Nightingale and Cameron displayed impressive offense against the dominant Babes of Wrath. The match began with typical heel tactics, with Cameron doing well early on before Nightingale swept in and turned the tide. Nightingale’s explosive power shone through, and she cleverly referenced her long-standing rivalry with Mone, adding depth to the storytelling despite it mostly being Mone trash-talking Nightingale.
Athena was a standout, too—literally flying around the ring. At one point, she leapt from her corner to break up a pin attempt on Mone with a precise Senton. Her athleticism is astounding, especially given that she is almost 40 years old. Athena also delivered a show-stopping double suplex on both Nightingale and Cameron, further emphasizing her all-around in-ring prowess.
While it was great to see Cameron get the win with her finishing move, it was unfortunate that Athena took the pinfall. Athena hasn’t always been booked strongly on AEW programming, but this loss felt less damaging given the context. AEW wasn’t going to let Mone take the fall, and progression for the Babes of Wrath in the tournament feels like the right long-term call.
The likelihood of Athena and Mone becoming the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions was slim. So even if Athena avoided a loss on Wednesday, it would have come eventually. Putting the Babes of Wrath over was the correct decision—Cameron and Nightingale are poised to be babyfaces who can bring attention to these new titles. They’re skilled, well-loved, and not so big that winning the belts looks like a downgrade.
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### Tournament Upset Sparks Mixed Reactions
In a genuinely surprising result, the Babes of Wrath—Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron—defeated the dominant team of Athena and Mercedes Mone after Cameron pinned Athena following some chaotic interference involving Kris Statlander and Billie Starkz.
This win was a significant boost for Cameron and Nightingale. However, it also continued a worrying trend concerning Athena’s portrayal since moving from ROH. Despite being the ROH Women’s World Champion, Athena’s early elimination raised questions about whether AEW is capitalizing on her prior dominance.
Critically, it felt unnecessary to put Mone and Athena in the tournament for further titles only to have them lose this early, especially with Mone set to challenge for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Full Gear. While Cameron pinning Athena potentially sets up a claim to the ROH Women’s title, it also feels like a missed opportunity for Athena to gain prominence in AEW.
This booking decision may stem from injuries and absence concerns, but overall it seems like the wrong call. Athena and Mone’s early loss risks undermining their status at a time when they should be elevated further.
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### Darby Allin vs. Daniel Garcia: Match of the Night
Thanks to his intense feud with Jon Moxley, highlighted by Molotov cocktails, coffins, and aquarium stunts, Darby Allin hasn’t had many chances in 2024 to truly showcase his technical wrestling skills. Stripped of hardcore elements, many wrestlers struggle, but Darby excels in both technical and high-risk styles.
His match against Daniel Garcia was a perfect example. It was a technical masterclass, possibly the best on recent “Dynamite” episodes. Garcia’s strategy focused on ground work, mirroring his reputation as the better mat wrestler. Given Jon Moxley’s desire to secure an advantage for the Death Riders and potentially avoid wrestling Roderick Strong on “AEW Collision,” Garcia wasn’t shy about bending rules to get the win.
Darby’s resilience made him a perfect foil, absorbing punishment and remaining dangerous throughout. This match marked Garcia’s most convincing singles performance in some time, recalling his 2022 bouts with Bryan Danielson. He displayed a vicious and believable “little savage” persona aligned with Moxley’s vision.
Darby, meanwhile, delivered a performance closer to his standout Continental Classic run in 2024 than his recent violent brawls. This match was easily the night’s best and sets a high bar for next week’s Blood & Guts showdown.
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### The Misfire of the FTR and Bandido’s Abuela Segment
FTR—Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler—have proven adept at drawing heat creatively in the past, so their recent segment interviewing Bandido’s grandmother was a curious misstep.
While Brody King breaking through Stokley’s guarded door was a highlight and brought fun, chaotic energy to the segment, the extended interview felt excessive and unnecessary. It appeared designed purely to generate heat without much payoff, which made it the lowest point on an otherwise solid show.
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### Blood & Guts Build-Up and Match Formatting
This week’s approach to building Blood & Guts was a bit different. Instead of multi-person or tag matches featuring factions, AEW opted for singles matches to determine the advantage between teams.
For example, singles bouts between Orange Cassidy vs. Daniel Garcia and Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli aired, with the deciding match set for Saturday’s “AEW Collision” between Jon Moxley and Roderick Strong.
This format felt fresh and effective, avoiding overbooking and keeping focus on individual rivalries while building tension for the multi-man Blood & Guts match.
The women’s tag team tournament and World Trios Championship main event complemented this structure well. The segmentation between men’s and women’s matches across “Dynamite” and “Collision” added variety and clarity.
Overall, there was just enough hype for Blood & Guts on Wednesday to get fans excited without overwhelming them. Next week’s matches look promising, and the strategic build-up added to the anticipation.
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### Too Many Championships?
Wrestling has suffered from title inflation for years, and AEW seems to be continuing this trend. After introducing the AEW Continental Championship in 2023, which eventually unified with the International Championship to create the AEW Unified Championship, AEW is now launching the AEW National Championship.
While the concept of an internationally defended belt sounds fun—echoing the old NWA National Championship—it feels unnecessary and somewhat confusing. Calling it the “National” Championship, despite its international defense purpose, is contradictory.
Moreover, AEW already has three male solo champions, and adding a fourth risks diluting the importance of each title. The performers vying to become inaugural National Champion—like Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Ricochet—offer some intrigue, but current storylines, such as The Demand vs The Hurt Syndicate, feel repetitive.
Past experience with similar titles suggests that this belt might quickly lose its original purpose and become just another mid-tier championship.
In sum, piling on more belts isn’t the remedy for creative slumps, and AEW risks overcomplicating its championship landscape.
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### Final Thoughts
Wednesday’s “AEW Dynamite” delivered a mix of standout wrestling, surprising outcomes, and questionable creative choices. The women’s tag match upset breathed new life into the division, Daniel Garcia vs. Darby Allin was a technical masterpiece, and the new format for Blood & Guts build-up felt refreshing.
However, the FTR segment fell flat, and the addition of yet another men’s singles championship leaves fans wondering about AEW’s direction.
As “Dynamite” serves as the calm before the Blood & Guts storm next week, the anticipation is building for what could be a memorable event.
*Written by Angeline Phu, Max Everett, Sam Palmer, and Daisy Ruth.*
https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2018558/aew-dynamite-november-5-2025-3-things-loved-hated/
