AEW Dynamite Review - May 6, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Sting Paid Tribute to Ted Turner

It was announced earlier in the day that Turner passed away at the age of 87, and there's a very real chance AEW wouldn't exist today if it wasn't for him. Hell, wrestling itself wouldn't be what it is in many ways without his influence, so I'm glad they took the time to pay tribute to him. Tony Schiavone and Sting (whose appearance was a pleasant surprise) made sense for this spot given their connection to Turner.

AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley def. Juice Robinson in an AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match

These two have a ton of history dating back to their days in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I believe they also faced off on Dynamite at one point when Moxley was AEW World Champion. They always work well together, so this was the quality contest you'd expect, even though the outcome was never in doubt. I still don't care about The Death Riders at all from a character standpoint, but at least Moxley has been a workhorse champion.

AEW World Trios Champion Orange Cassidy def. AEW World Tag Team Champion Dax Harwood in a Double Jeopardy Match

There were so many people at ringside that at first glance you would've thought this was a Lumberjack match. I know all of these guys are involved with each other at the moment, but I have no idea why that was necessary. Otherwise, this was a good matchup. The Conglomeration will now face FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but if they get their shot before Double or Nothing, they obviously won't win.

The Hurt Syndicate Saved Jericho from The Demand

The story of this storyline since it began has been that Jericho is outnumbered. Hurt Syndicate coming to his aid was logical, solely because they feuded for so long last year. Yes, it's an odd alliance, but I imagine it will only be temporary. Plus, it set up the six-man tag team match for Saturday's Collision. I maintain the Jericho vs. Ricochet rivalry should have been a one and done at Dynasty, but oh well.

AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada def. Bryan Keith

What did Keith do to deserve a shot at the AEW International Championship? Was that ever explained? I know AEW does a lot of random title matches without much setup, but Keith was a really random challenger considering he's barely on AEW TV these days. He's a talented dude, so I'm glad he got this opportunity and I thought he had a solid showing, but the outcome was never in doubt. Post-match, Okada made it clear in a quick promo that in addition to Konosuke Takeshita, he also has his sights set on the AEW World Championship.

Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander def. Harley Cameron and Mina Shirakawa

Shida and Statlander just failed to win the AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship on last week's Dynamite, but they're continuing to team, anyway. Uhm, sure, I guess? If nothing else, I appreciate that it's a story to keep Shida and especially Statlander busy. This was a decent match designed to further establish that Shida is going heel while Statlander doesn't approve of the way she's going about things.

AEW World Champion Darby Allin def. AEW TNT Champion Kevin Knight (AEW TNT Championship Was Not Defended)

This was the most predictable of Allin's three title defenses so far, largely because Knight wasn't walking out a dual champion, but it was also incredibly entertaining. The two of them had strong chemistry and closed the night on a high note. Knight has consistently proven himself in these high-profile situations this year, so hopefully he'll have his own run as AEW World Champion down the road. Post-match, Allin told MJF that he'll give him a rematch if he puts his hair on the line, presumably at Double or Nothing.

Overall Show

It's only been three weeks and Allin's AEW World Championship is already a success in my book. Three title defenses in three weeks is wild, and all three matches have been awesome. We know where this is going, but it's going to be a hell of a ride in the meantime. At any rate, the best parts of this show were the main event and the opening segment, but pretty much everything in the middle managed to hold my interest.

SEE MORE: Dynamite Reviews