AEW Dynamite Results 4/2 - Mixed Tornado Tag Team Match, Cope Collides With Claudio Castagnoli & More

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "AEW Dynamite" on April 2, 2025, coming to you live from the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois!

Days before they square off in a match for the AEW Word Championship at AEW Dynasty, Swerve Strickland and titleholder Jon Moxley will be meeting in the ring as the former joins forces with Willow Nightingale for the first time ever and the latter joins forces with his Death Riders stablemate Marina Shafir in a Mixed Tornado Tag Team Match. Strickland defeated Ricochet at AEW Revolution on March 9 to secure his title shot against Moxley this coming Sunday, while Nightingale and Shafir have encountered one another a handful of times over the course of the past few weeks as the issues between Nightingale, Cope, Jay White, and The Death Riders continue to boil over.

Speaking of Cope, he will be competing in a match of his own as he goes one-on-one with one third of the reigning AEW World Trios Champions and Death Riders member Claudio Castagnoli. This will mark the first time the two men have met each other in singles action in an AEW ring, having previously encountered one another in a trios match at the "Dynamite" Fight For The Fallen special on January 1, a Twelve Men Tag Team Match at the "AEW Collision" Maximum Carnage special on January 18, and a tag team Brisbane Brawl at AEW Grand Slam: Australia on February 15.

Before she defends the AEW Women's World Championship against Megan Bayne at Dynasty, Toni Storm will be colliding with Bayne's ally Penelope Ford. Bayne and Ford emerged victorious over Storm and Thunder Rosa during last week's edition of "Dynamite", with Bayne ultimately being the one who pinned Storm in the closing moments of the bout to secure the win.

Additionally, Will Ospreay will be making his return tonight with something on his mind to share. The official brackets for this year's Men's and Women's Owen Hart Cup Tournament are also set to be unveiled tonight, with the aforementioned Ospreay, Jay White, "Hangman" Adam Page, TBS Champion Mercedes Mone, Ring of Honor Women's World Champion Athena, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa, Jamie Hayter, and Billie Starkz having all declared their participation in their respective tournaments.

We are live! Excalibur, Taz, and Tony Schiavone greet audiences at home as Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir make their way out to the ring. Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale, and Prince Nana follows.

The bell rings and Strickland and Moxley begin brawling on the outside as Nightingale and Shafir go at it on the other side of the ring. Strickland and Nightingale send Moxley and Shafir crashing into adjacent barricades, but Shafir lands a suplex on Nightingale on the floor and helps Moxley set up the table.

Moxley drags Strickland up on top of the announce desk as Shafir beats down Nightingale in the ring. Nightingale lands a chop on Shafir in the corner, and Strickland sends Moxley crashing into the ring steps. Moxley runs over Strickland in the ring with a shoulder tackle, but Strickland responds with a dropkick. He lands a backbreaker on Moxley, and Nightingale follows it up with a missile dropkick on him off the middle ropes.

Strickland lands an elbow drop on the ropes to the back of his spine, and Shafir lands a chop on Nightingale in the ring. Shafir jams her knee into the back of Nightingale's neck, and the two continue brawling on the apron before she sends Nightingale crashing through the table.

Back from the break, Shafir and Moxley look to land a double suplex on Strickland off the top rope. Nightingale pulls Shafir and Moxley off, then stacks Moxley and Shafir on top of one another in the corner and lands a splash on them. Strickland lands a jumping knee on Moxley, and Nightingale connects with a spinebuster on Shafir. Moxley and Strickland then exchange right hands, but Moxley cinches in the Bulldog Choke on Strickland. Nightingale powerbombs Shafir on top of the two men to break the hold, then brawls with her on the outside as Moxley and Strickland exchange strikes in the middle of the ring.

Strickland sets up for House Call on Moxley, but accidentally hits Shafir. Nightingale sends Moxley crashing through another table set up on the outside, then lands a Doctor Bomb on Shafir for the win.

Winners: Swerve Strickland and Willow Nightingale

After the match, Moxley clocks Nightingale and retreats through the crowd with Shafir.

We then head backstage to Renee Paquette, FTR, and referee Paul Turner. Dax Harwood pays his fine from "AEW Collision" directly to Turner and looks to get on the same page as Cash Wheeler before they and Cope challenge The Death Riders for the AEW World Trios Championship. 

Toni Storm and Luther then make their way out to the ring. Penelope Ford follows.

The bell rings and Storm lands a backbreaker on Ford. Storm lands a suplex on Ford and looks to land a Hip Attack on her, but Ford moves out of the way and dropkicks Storm onto the apron. Storm fires off forearms on Ford.

Back from the break, Ford lands a handspring back elbow on Storm's spine in the corner. Storm bites Ford's lip, then fires off right hands on her and connects with a Thesz Press before raining down more right hands on her and levelling her. She wears down Ford with a submission hold, but Ford grabs onto the bottom rope to break it up. Ford lands a gutbuster on Storm, but Storm responds with Storm Zero for the win.

Winner: Toni Storm

After the match, Megan Bayne makes her way out and sarcastically applaud Storm for her win.

The Hurt Syndicate (without Shelton Benjamin) then make their way out to the ring. 

Bobby Lashley looks to speak, but MJF's music hits and he makes his way out. MJF formally introduces himself to Lashley seeing as he doesn't know him as well as MVP, then says he knows Lashley all too well. He says Lashley knows his way around the block, then says cards on the table and tells The Hurt Syndicate that they need him.

Lashley says he doesn't like him and The Hurt Syndicate doesn't need him, then tells him to leave the ring. MJF obliges and The Hurt Syndicate look to follow him to the back, but Big Bill and Bryan Keith confront Lashley and MVP. The four men stare each other down as Bill and Keith make their way down to the ring.

The bell rings and Bill tosses one of his opponents across the ring. He lands a boot on him, then tosses him out of the ring and tags in Keith. Keith lands a knee on the other opponent, and Bill follows it up with a chokeslam to him for the win.

Winners: Big Bill and Bryan Keith.

After the match, Bill grabs a mic and demands a match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship on his and Keith's behalves at Dynasty. MVP looks to speak, but Lashley cuts him.

Will Ospreay and Kevin Knight then make their way down to the ring. Lee Johnson and Blake Christian follow. 

Ospreay and Christian begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Ospreay runs Christian over with a shoulder tackle, but Christian returns the favor. Ospreay connects with a hurricanrana on Christian and tags in Knight. Knight and Ospreay land double dropkicks on Christian and Johnson that send them crashing out of the ring, then follow it up with double tope suicidas.

Back from the break, Christian lands a clothesline on Knight inside the ring. Ospreay tags in and lands a double crossbody on Christian and Johnson. Christian delivers a 450 Splash to Ospreay, then tags in Johnson. Ospreay connects with a Stun-Dog Millionaire on Johnson, then tags in Knight. Christian gets Knight in an Electric Chair position, and Johnson connects with a dropkick. Knight counters into a hurricanrana, but Knight responds with a right hand off the top rope on Johnson for the win.

Winners: Will Ospreay and Kevin Knight

Brody King then make their way down to the ring. Lance Archer and Don Callis follows. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Archer clotheslines King out of the ring, but King sits Archer in a chair and lands a crossbody on him. He dumps him back inside the ring, but Callis grabs his ankle. King fires off right hands and left hands on Archer.

Back from the break, King lands a low crossbody on Archer and follows it up with a bodyslam. Archer lands a spinning slam on King, then follows it up with a chokeslam and a cannonball in the corner. King levels Archer with a clothesline for the win.

Winner: Brody King

Cope then makes his way down to the ring. Claudio Castagnoli follows.

The bell rings and Castagnoli goes straight after Cope. He sends him crashing into the barricade shoulder first and dumps him back inside the ring, but Cope sends him crashing off the apron and into one of the barricades. He sends him crashing into another one of the barricades, then fires off forearms on him. Cope and Castagnoli continue going back and forth in the ring, but Cope sends Castagnoli crashing into the mat and spears him onto the floor off the apron. Cope looks to fly out of the ring, but Castagnoli catches him with an uppercut.

Back from the break, Castagnoli lands a double stomp on Cope and follows it up with The Swing. Cope responds with a Flatliner to Castagnoli, but Castagnoli cinches in a Sharpshooter on Cope and transitions into a crossface. Cope reverses into a crossface of his own, but Castagnoli makes it under the bottom rope to break the hold. Castagnoli delivers a powerslam to Cope on the apron and dumps him into the crowd.

Castagnoli lands a pop-up uppercut on Cope back inside the ring, then follows it up with a Neutralizer and goes for a pin. Cope kicks out, but Castagoli grabs two chairs and sets up for the Con-Chair-To. The referee disposes of the chair, but Cope takes advantage and low blows Castagnoli as he does so. He follows it up with a spear for the win.

Winner: Cope

We then head backstage, where Swerve Strickland encounters "Hangman" Adam Page as he looks for Jon Moxley. Security keeps the two men apart, and Strickland continues to look for Moxley, but Moxley blindsides him with an attack alongside the rest of The Death Riders. Moxley sends Strickland crashing through some glass, then drags him out to ringside with PAC. Wheeler Yuta dumps shards of glass inside the ring, and Castagnoli sends him crashing on top of it with a powerbomb. The Death Riders retreat through the crowd as Strickland seethes in the ring and the show goes off the air.