AEW Dynamite Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Before Grand Slam

From the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, the February 11 edition of Dynamite was the final stop for All Elite Wrestling before Grand Slam: Australia.

Kris Statlander and Thekla agreed to collide in a Strap Match for the Women's World Championship. Kyle Fletcher tried to win back the TNT Championship from Tommaso Ciampa.

The Rascalz and The Young Bucks fought a mystery Wild Card team to determine the next No. 1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships.

This was an important night for AEW that could see multiple titles change hands before the roster headed to Australia.

Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland Come to Blows in 1st Face-Off

Tony Schiavone brought out Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland. The Mogul said he had taken The Cleaner's spot in AEW while questioning if Omega was going to abuse his EVP power to skip the line.

The Cleaner responded by promising his goal was to show he was better than The Mogul and would gladly fight him. After tempers flared, Omega slapped Swerve.

This started a brawl into the crowd that ended after an Omega V-Trigger into the stage screen and a Swerve Spear off the stage through a table.

These promo spots for Omega have shown his limitations as a talker, especially compared to Swerve. While The Cleaner is decent, he sometimes loses himself in making his point.

The Mogul can lose his words, but he is a more natural speaker with a live crowd.

Swerve came out of this looking more controlled and dangerous than Omega, which leaves a question for The Cleaner: Can he really keep up with the next generation?

The brawl that followed was a great preview for what is to come. They fought like men possessed with mutual hatred.

Hangman Adam Page did not appear in this spot, but he is certain to complicate everything as a longtime friend to one man and a respectful ally to the other.

If the goal is to ultimately set up an old-school vs new-school generation battle, Omega vs. Swerve makes sense as the foundational pieces of that angle.

They need Will Ospreay to return though for this story to reach its climax.

Grade

B

Notable Moments and Observations

Bryan Danielson was back on commentary for this week.

Swerve stopped Omega from talking multiple times when he ran down The Cleaner, coming off as a heel despite the crowd support.

The Mogul made clear he was a part of a different generation that was "lapping" The Cleaner's generation.

Omega put over Brody King as AEW's most dangerous man, setting up the crowd barks.

Later, Schiavone announced Omega vs. Swerve next week on Dynamite.

The Death Riders vs. The Don Callis Family

All Elite Wrestling

Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita

Last Time in Action: Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Pac alongside Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta lost to The Conglomeration and friends (Dynamite: Blood & Guts, November 12). This was the first time Konosuke Takeshita, Josh Alexander and Mark Davis have teamed up as a trio.

While both teams had not teamed together in trios action in the past, both sides looked unstoppable together, flowing through tag-team offense when in control.

As the contest ramped up, The Death Riders' leader finally got to collide with his Grand Slam challenger, laying him out with a vicious King Kong Lariat.

After a series of running European uppercuts in the corner on The Alpha, Castagnoli and Pac threw Takeshita into a Mox cutter for a near-fall.

The Family fought back into control, but once Castagnoli and Pac had knocked Takeshita and Davis out of the ring, Mox picked up the win with a Paradigm Shift on The Walking Weapon.

It is impressive that AEW continues to find unique trio mixes early in this stable battle between The Death Riders and The Don Callis Family.

This was the strongest version of The Death Riders, and this was about as interesting a trio to contest them.

It often boiled down to Mox vs. Takeshita, Castagnoli vs. Davis and Pac vs. Alexander, and each dynamic worked without ever losing the fast pace.

While the trios division looks to be on hold until Hangman Adam Page finishes his Men's World Championship pursuit, these groups are keeping the spirit of AEW's multi-man tags thriving.

Mox did not pin Takeshita to win, but the victory gives him momentum into Grand Slam. If The Alpha does not win at Grand Slam, he will likely fall into the background of the Continental Championship scene on a loss.

Result

Mox, Castagnoli and Pac def. Alexander, Davis and Takeshita by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

Takeshita interrupted The Death Riders' entrance while they were still in the crowd.

Mox struggled with the size of Davis, but Castagnoli lifted him with ease for a deadlift suplex.

The Alpha and The Death Riders' leader stared each other down afterward, selling that Takeshita was not affected by the result of this contest.

TNT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher

All Elite Wrestling

Kyle Fletcher and Tommaso Ciampa

Last Time in Action: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Roderick Strong and Claudio Castagnoli to retain the TNT Championship (Collision, February 7); Kyle Fletcher alongside Konosuke Takeshita defeated Austin and Billy Gunn (Collision, January 24).

Fletcher hoped to injure the neck of Ciampa early in this match, but The Psycho Killer responded with an Air Raid Crash on the steel steps.

When The Protostar returned to the ring, Ciampa hit the running knee that won his first two matches but only got a near-fall.

Fletcher nearly won off an elevated Powerbomb. He followed up with an apron Powerbomb and Brainbuster, but The Psycho Killer still kicked out.

Ciampa hit a pair of running knees for near-fall. A Buisaku Knee and Brainbuster by The Psycho Killer could not keep Fletcher down.

And a Brainbuster of his own from Fletcher sealed the victory.

Afterward, Fletcher said he was going to defend the TNT Championship in Sydney, Australia. Mark Briscoe asked for one more shot, and The Protostar accepted the challenge as a ladder match.

This was a hard-hitting battle between Ciampa and Fletcher that became a war of attrition.

Youth conquered experience due to the different roads these competitors are on at the moment.

This was Ciampa's third match in 11 days. Fletcher's only contest in that time was a relatively one-sided tag team bout.

While the two overrelied on finishers and kick-outs in the home stretch, it made for a fun and dramatic close where Fletcher's well-established resilience played the biggest role.

It was a surprise to see Ciampa lose this early, but Fletcher deserved to go home with gold. Short TNT Championship reigns are more common than any other AEW title.

Ciampa endeared himself immediately to the fans through his presentation and work ethic in the ring. He will come back around to the TNT Championship or other gold.

Fletcher vs. Briscoe is an overdone match, but this should be the last chapter. In Sydney, this will be a great spotlight for The Protostar's growth in an exciting ladder match.

Result

Fletcher def. Ciampa by pinfall to become TNT champion.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments and Observations

Before the match, Fletcher promised victory and told Callis to stay out of the match.

Callis joined commentary with Lance Archer on protection duty.

After Ciampa kicked out of the Brainbuster, both men looked toward the commentary table in mutual shock.

Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong vs. Clark Connors and Daniel Garcia

Last Time in Action: Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong alongside "Timeless" Toni Storm lost to The Death Riders (Dynamite: New Year's Smash, December 31). This was the first time Clark Connors and Daniel Garcia have teamed together.

Freshly Squeezed struggled against the vicious offensive focus of Garcia and Connors.

When Cassidy tried to tag in Strong, he walked out on his tag team partner.

Darby Allin shifted the balance of the match when he attacked Connors, pulling him away through the crowd. This allowed Freshly Squeezed to catch Garcia in a small package to win.

Afterward, Storm declared from the crowd that she was ready to put her hair on the line. Marina Shafir dragged out Mina Shirakawa, and Wheeler Yuta cut her ponytail while Garcia choked out Cassidy.

The reason for Clark and Red Death tagging together was ostensibly because The Conglomeration wanted revenge on The War Dogs for what they did to Darby Allin.

Since Gabe Kidd is in Japan, The Death Riders offered assistance. This could also indicate The War Dogs and Death Riders are becoming stronger allies in 2026.

No matter what the reason, the new team looked solid together. It is a shame that even with a Strong walkout, the heels could not win.

This never got near the usual high-octane pace of AEW tag team matches, mostly focused on the various twists and turns to set up a finish.

The post-match was more immediately effective, showing how far The Death Riders were willing to go against Cassidy and Storm.

Strong leaving Cassidy should have been a bigger deal, but it should be interesting to see where they go from here. This could be a heel turn, but it is not certain yet.

Result

Cassidy and Strong def. Garcia and Connors by pinfall despite Strong walking out before the finish.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments and Observations

Connors' entrance update clearly indicated he is All Elite going forward.

Garcia and Connors cut a backstage promo ahead of the match, promising to embarrass The Conglomeration.

Jon Moxley enjoyed this match on commentary, cheering on Garcia in particular.

No. 1 Contender: The Young Bucks vs. The Rascalz vs. Private Party

All Elite Wrestling

Private Party

Last Time in Action: Matt and Nick Jackson defeated GOA to qualify for this No. 1 contender match (Collision, February 7); Zay and Quen lost the World Tag Team Championship to The Hurt Syndicate (Dynamite, January 22, 2025). This was the first time Desmond Xavier and Myron Reed teamed on AEW television.

Private Party made a surprise return for the first time in over a year as the wild-card team and got right back to action, especially showing their speed advantage on The Young Bucks.

Reed hit a wild jumping cutter on Zay over the ropes onto Nick and Quen at ringside to set up The Rascalz to almost pin Matt for the win following a 450 Splash.

Nick broke it up and turned the tide with a BTE Trigger on Quen and a Meltzer Driver on Reed for the victory.

Afterward, FTR arrived to mock Young Bucks until they both got shut up by Superkicks.

It was good to see Zay and Quen back in action and looking great in this wild contest. Hopefully, this is a long-term return that will make them a strong part of this tag division.

It was somewhat surprising for Private Party to come back and lose, but Hook in the crowd might tease that he could recruit the returning team to The Opps.

The Rascalz delivered again in this spot, and this would have been the perfect opportunity for them to jump the ranks and get a shot at FTR.

FTR vs. Young Bucks is a well-worn matchup, but both teams are working at their best rate in at least half a decade.

This could be the chance for them to fully deliver the classic they have long teased. It will need a big stipulation though.

It is also possible that Christian Cage and Adam Copeland's return is still on the horizon, and these three teams are setting up a new trios tag TLC match.

Result

The Young Bucks def. Private Party and The Rascalz by pinfall to become the new No. 1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

Andrade El Ídolo and Hangman Adam Page delivered promises of victory ahead of Grand Slam.

Jet Speed warned every champion that they would also be looking for more gold in 2026 alongside The Cowboy.

The new temporary leader of The Opps, Hook, watched in the crowd.

AEW aired another hype vignette for Will Ospreay.

Women's World Championship Strap Match: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Thekla

Last Time in Action: Thekla defeated Brittnie Brooks (Collision, February 7); Kris Statlander defended her Women's World Championship against Thekla (Dynamite, January 28).

Stat started the match in control, dragging The Toxic Spider around the ring, but Thekla rebounded by busting open The Cosmic Killer with the steel steps.

The blood flowed in this physical battle, but Stat kept answering Thekla in this match with brutal strap shots.

After a Tombstone from The Cosmic Killer, Julia Hart and Skye Blue struck, attacking Stat and setting up a Spear and Stomp to seal the victory for The Toxic Spider.

Afterward, The Triangle of Madness continued to attack Stat before The Brawling Birds, Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor, ran them off.

This was a physical contest that heavily relied upon the strap as the weapon of choice. These two left lasting bruises on one another from this contest.

By the end, it was clear that Thekla was waning while Stat refused to give in to her own pain. However, the numbers game was too much for The Cosmic Killer to handle.

Thekla already lost to Stat two weeks ago. This rematch was not likely to change that result, yet Thekla managed to walk out victorious.

This was a massive win for The Toxic Spider, who solidified as the new big bad of a women's division that needed one.

Stat had a great run, but the possibilities of Thekla vs. Hayter, Windsor, Willow and eventually "Timeless" Toni Storm are tantalizing television that AEW can rely upon.

This also gives The Cosmic Killer a fresh story. She is on the chase for a title she now knows she can carry.

The whole women's division just got a boost of unpredictable energy that should keep the world title scene hot for a long time to come.

With all the converging forces, a stable warfare style match at Revolution (ala Anarchy in the Arena) could be the way forward.

Result

Thekla def. Stat by pinfall to become the new AEW women's world champion.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments and Observations

Before the main event, AEW aired a hype vignette for MJF vs. Brody King at Grand Slam: Australia.

This started just past the two-hour mark, so the entire match was an overrun.

It was appropriate how much The Cosmic Killer bled in this match just days removed from her interview with Denise Salcedo of Inside Culture, talking about bleeding in the ring.

Stat countered the first Spider Walk attempt by pulling her close with the strap, showing how The Toxic Spider was compromised in this environment.

Commentary made clear that The Babes of Wrath had already traveled to Australia, setting up the numbers game problem for the finish.

Overall Show

This was an up-and-down night of action, but the highs were electric, showing how willing AEW is to do the unpredictable to keep fans tuning in week after week.

The main event more than earned its place for the night as Thekla and Kris Statlander brutalized each other in a Strap match with an unexpected title change.

Kyle Fletcher and Tommaso Ciampa also battled with fire to sell what the TNT Championship means to both men.

The rest of the show could not meet those lofty heights, but it was still a solid night of action ahead of a wild Grand Slam: Australia card.

Instead of providing more straightforward Grand Slam hype, AEW delivered a show that said fans won't want to miss any All Elite action because anything can happen.

Overall Grade: B+