AEW Dynamite Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Dec. 31

All Elite Wrestling closed out 2025 with New Year's Smash Dynamite, including major fallout from Worlds End from the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.

MJF ended Worlds End holding the AEW Men's World Championship, dethroning Samoa Joe by taking advantage of Hangman Adam Page's Buckshot Lariat. He was contractually obligated to appear on Dynamite.

After pinning Ricochet on the Zero Hour, "Jungle" Jack Perry challenged the National champion.

Continuing The CEO's massive crash-out, Mercedes Moné agreed to put her TBS Championship on the line against Willow Nightingale.

Jon Moxley completed an improbable run at Worlds End to win the Continental Classic and dethroning Kazuchika Okada as Continental champion.

He was back in action on Dynamite in a Championship Eliminator match against Josh Alexander.

This was just the foundation of a major fallout show, looking to end 2025 with a bang and start teasing what AEW had in store for 2026.

MJF Meets His Many Future Challengers

MJF arrived to reveal his brand new Triple B AEW World Championship. He mocked the whole AEW roster until he was interrupted by Kenny Omega on the titantron, calling his shot for a future world title match.

Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland then arrived in the crowd. Security stopped them from getting into the ring as MJF refused to fight either until they earned their shot.

The Salt of the Earth escaped while The Cowboy and The Mogul took down security. Swerve and Hangman promised to get to the world champion, even going through each other to win it.

Samoa Joe appeared on the titantron with Hook and Powerhouse Hobbs to threaten pain upon his enemies. Swerve and Hangman agreed to fight Hook and Hobbs next week in a Light Out match.

This was a fantastic opener. AEW does not always hit with its promo segments, but the pace of this segment was tight.

MJF did not overstay his welcome, allowing Omega, Hangman, Swerve and Joe to all make their cases for going back after that AEW World Championship.

As the new heel champion, he has an exciting set of future challengers on the horizon, no matter what order they come.

Hangman and Swerve have especially sold themselves as the most dangerous duo in AEW, and it would not be shocking if it ends with them holding tag team gold together.

Of all the challenges, The Cleaner's lacked the same obvious spark, though it is certainly a fresh idea that could be great television and in-ring action for AEW in the future.

It would have been nice to also see Bandido involved since he is the only one that has earned his shot, but he was already booked for the show later.

Grade

A

Notable Moments and Observations

After a Worlds End recap, the show started with MJF arriving in a van and ridiculous fur coat,

Swerve ended his promo with an emphatic "May the worst men win." That could be a tease of their future tag team name.

Hook's glossy black jacket may have been more audacious than MJF's.

New Year's Tornado: Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong vs. Death Riders

All Elite Wrestling

The Conglomeration stood tall together at Worlds End after multiple wins.

Last Time in Action: "Timeless" Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong with Mark Briscoe defeated Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli and Daniel Garcia with Wheeler Yuta (Worlds End, December 28).

Storm and Cassidy continued to work great together while Strong was less enthused about the goofy pairing.

While Freshly Squeezed almost took the win with a tornado DDT, Yuta distracted him for a running European uppercut that stole the win from The Conglomeration.

This was a fun match much like at Worlds End, but it repeated many of the same beats from the pay-per-view.

Mainly, it served to get The Death Riders' win back, but it would have been nice to see the wrestlers find some more fresh spots in this dynamic.

Still, it was smart to play off the excitement these teams built together at Worlds End, especially playing into the viral excitement around Storm and Cassidy's dance.

The Death Riders continue to play the heels outside of Jon Moxley, and AEW is leaving it ambiguous how that will end for Mox.

Result

Castagnoli, Garcia and Shafir def. Cassidy, Strong and Storm by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Backstage, Briscoe led a promo segment where he hyped up what The Conglomeration would be doing on Dynamite. Storm and Cassidy also teased more possible tension, which Mina Shirakawa did not appreciate.
• Storm teased a Giant Swing on Castagnoli, but Garcia stopped it.
• This pairing had plenty of intergender action, but the most memorable was Strong taking out his wife Shafir with a Backbreaker without hesitation.
• The camera lingered on Castagnoli stared back into the ring, possibly considering causing more damage before leaving.
• Mina continued to question why Cassidy was getting so close to her "wife".
• Strong offered a hand to help up Cassidy, but the show cut to commercial before showing if Strong might be ready to conglomerate.

Bandido vs. The Beast Mortos

All Elite Wrestling

Bandido continued his momentum as he prepares to challenge for the AEW Men's World Championship.

Last Time in Action: Bandido with Máscara Dorada defeated The Don Callis Family (World End: Zero Hour, December 28); Bandido lost to Eddie Kingston (Collision, October 8).

Down the stretch of this match, it looked like Mortos might have Bandido's number, but he turned the tide into an X-Knee and 21 Plex for the victory.

While Bandido picked up the win to build momentum for his challenge of Men's world champion MJF in two weeks, this felt more like a Ring of Honor match, selling Mortos' threat to the ROH world champion.

From an AEW perspective, it may have been better to let Bandido keep control of this match throughout, but these two certainly made the most of the spotlight.

This was a fun contest that got silly at times while never losing the pace. It was exactly what one would expect from two of AEW's best luchadors.

Next week, AEW should take some time for MJF and Bandido to square off, selling why the luchador might have a chance (if ever so slight) to dethrone The Salt of the Earth.

Result

Bandido def. Mortos by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Sammy Guevara came out with Mortos, his ROH World Tag Team Championship partner, but left before it started.
• Bandido got Mortos off his game by using his cape to lure in the beast and disorient him.
• Later, Bandido wore the cape to fly like a superhero onto Mortos outside.
• Bandido delivered a quick warning to MJF through a camera at ringside, promising victory in two weeks.

Brody King vs. Lee Johnson

All Elite Wrestling

Brody King picked up momentum in dominant fashion on Dynamite.

Last Time in Action: Brody King lost in the Dynamite Diamond Ring 2025 Battle Royal to Bandido and Ricochet (Dynamite, December 17); Lee Johnson with Blake Christian lost to GOA (Dynamite, October 1).

While Big Shotty tried to push the pace, he was quickly overwhelmed by King, who put him down with a Gonzo Bomb.

Did King need a squash match like this? Not necessarily, but it was nice to see the big man back in singles action.

He remains one of the company's most reliable workers in any situation, and there is clearly something brewing with him. He cannot just stay in Bandido's shadow.

It would be a mistake to break up Brodido, who have so much potential as a duo into 2026, but Bandido vs. King for the ROH World Championship could be a ROH PPV main event.

While King has won gold in AEW, he has never held singles gold, and that feels like an oversight that should be rectified in some fashion in the new year.

Result

King def. Johnson by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments and Observations

Backstage, Bandido gave another warning to MJF before King put him over and advised he was the first challenger if Bandido won the AEW Men's World Championship.

Johnson dived onto King to try and get an edge before the bell.

Darby Allin advised that he wanted to win the AEW Men's World Championship in 2026, but first he needed to finally beat the last Death Rider, Pac.

Backstage, The Triangle of Madness warned that they were focused on gold as Thekla especially set her challenge to Kris Statlander.

Renee Paquette interview MJF before the main event. He was interrupted by Bandido and King, who warned that the luchador was coming for his gold. Hopefully, this was not the only interaction between them before their match.

Continental Championship Eliminator: Jon Moxley vs. Josh Alexander

Last Time in Action: Jon Moxley defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the Continental Classic and Continental Championship (Worlds End, December 28); Alexander and The Demand lost to JetSpeed and Jurassic Express (World End: Zero Hour, December 28).

Mox continued to struggled with his ankle in his Championship Eliminator, allowing The Walking Weapon to pick him apart.

The champion managed to reverse the grip of Alexander though into a Bulldog Choke, causing The Walking Weapon to pass out.

MVP and Shelton Benjamin arrived afterward to stare down the champion, making their intentions clear.

This was about as smart a post-Worlds End booking as possible for Mox. He not only had to fight another Don Callis Family member but one that was known for targeting ankles.

It led to a physically intensive technical battle for Mox's first match out of the C2, selling that the champion may be wearing himself too thin, too quickly.

Alexander looked fantastic throughout, making the win by Mox feel more like a survival than a victory.

The Hurt Syndicate appearance was a nice tease for the future. With Bobby Lashley out of action for a while, Benjamin needs a strong direction for the immediate future (and not keep feuding with Ricochet).

Result

Mox def. Alexander by knockout.

Grade

A

Notable Moments and Observations

Excalibur repeatedly reminded fans that Alexander could earn the title shot just by surviving 20 minutes against the champion.

Mox stumbled on his way over the barricade, whether intentionally or not selling his ankle was still hurting from Worlds End.

Renee Paquette sold that The Death Riders' new slogan was "Death Riders against the World" while teasing Death Riders vs. Don Callis Family is just starting.

The crowd was heavily behind Mox throughout, further solidifying him as a face going forward.

The Death Riders talked backstage afterward. Mox made clear he was ready for Benjamin while Wheeler Yuta challenged Darby Allin.

National Championship: Ricochet (c) (w/ GOA) vs. "Jungle" Jack Perry (w/ Luchasaurus)

Michael Tullberg

"Jungle" Jack Perry continues to redefine his legacy with a great run of performances to end 2025.

Last Time in Action: "Jungle" Jack Perry with Luchasaurus, "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight defeated Ricochet with Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun and Josh Alexander (Worlds End: Zero Hour, December 28).

Perry kept Ricochet on his toes, but the numbers game was too much for Jungle Jack. Kaun caught the leg of Perry to set up a Ricochet Spirit Gun for the three count.

Afterward, The Demand beat down Luchasarus, attacking his injured arm with the help of a barricade and even using security against him.

Perry thrived in the C2 as the late replacement for Darby Allin, but this was not the same format of match. The heavy reliance on interference kept this match from truly shining.

The One and Only was never going to lose this early, especially with so much support behind him, but the post-match indicates this is far from over.

Perry dragged his body up the ramp to get to Luchasaurus, selling his fear of what could have been done to "his dinosaur". Hopefully, this is only a kayfabe injury angle for Luchasaurus.

Result

Ricochet def. Perry by pinfall to retain the National Championship.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments and Observations

Luchasarus came in bandaged up from the attack of The Demand during the Zero Hour but did his best to contest GOA at ringside.

Liona fought Luchasaurus to the back, leaving Kaun to protect Ricochet.

Kaun played his role well by distracting Perry, taking a superkick for his trouble, and Ricochet was able to follow up by tripping Jungle Jack.

While GOA beat down Luchasarus outside, Riochet cheap shot Perry with another Spirit Gun before coming out to help them.

TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Willow Nightingale

Last Time in Action: Willow Nightingale with Harley Cameron successfully defended the Women's World Tag Team Championships against Mercedes Moné with Athena (Worlds End, December 28).

The hatred between Moné and Willow was palpable even during the introductions, teasing an early brawl.

Both women fought with vicious focus, but Moné was unable to get up Willow for the Moné Maker while Willow was able to hit the Babe with the Power Bomb for the win.

JetSpeed, Orange Cassidy and Harley all arrived before Kris Statlander appeared. The two friends finally reconciled with a big hug to end the show.

These two have fought multiple times and always had impressive chemistry (even though their first encounter led to an unfortunate injury to Moné).

This was easily their best singles match together, worked like a PPV clash throughout. Moné made Willow work for it as much as she has made any TBS Championship challenger work for that win.

In the end though, it was Willow that emerged victorious, recapturing the gold Moné took away from her. The longest reigning TBS champion of all time was dethroned by the shortest reigning TBS champion.

This was a massive moment to end the year, solidifying Willow's status as one of AEW's top women with two belts to her name.

The only worry is that this could lead to more AEW PPVs without both the tag titles and TBS Championship on the line.

For the sake of variety in the women's division, The Babes of Wrath losing the gold in a developing women's tag team division would make sense so that Willow can focus on the TBS Championship.

Result

Willow def. Moné by pinfall to become the new TBS champion.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments and Observations

AEW highlighted Moné's impressive 2025 with a video package.

Harley hyped up Willow backstage just before the main event.

The crowd was loud and animated for this one, chanting for both women and AEW.

The CEO quickly pulled Willow outside and threw her into the animated barricades, shorting them out.

Into the commercial, Moné smashed Willow's head into the steel steps with a Meteora.

Willow followed up with a vicious Death Valley Driver on the apron, but The CEO kept rolling away to avoid a pin.

Tony Schiavone sold how Willow's anger was getting the best of her, setting the stage for an ill-advised battle on the announce table that ended with a CEO suplex on the table and a near count-out.

Overall Show

This was a near-perfect show from AEW, especially considering the opener and main event.

The show sold the future of the AEW Men's World Championship, highlighting the many challengers that were coming for MJF.

Jon Moxley delivered in his first action since winning the Continental Championship, making Josh Alexander look great, and solidifying what will likely be a standard for AEW television, Championship Eliminators to find his next challenger.

It also solidified the status of Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander. The two friends turned rivals are back to friends and standing tall together as the standard bearers of AEW's women's division.

The rest of the show could not keep up. Bandido and The Beast Mortos worked well together in a match that did not quite sell Bandido as a threat to MJF yet.

Ricochet and "Jungle" Jack Perry looked good together, but the interference took center stage. The two have better in them fighting each other.

These small issues on Dynamite did not distract from overall great show, looking forward to the new year with great matches and promo work.

Overall Grade: A-