AEW Dynasty 2025: Where Do We Go From Here?

If there's one you thing can say about AEW Dynasty, it's that Tony Khan is thinking hard about how to get to the card he wants at All In: Texas in July. From the FTR heel turn to the extreme emphasis on the Owen Hart Cup to the returns of Kazuchika Okada and the Young Bucks, everything speaks to a star-studded lineup for what is rapidly becoming AEW's WrestleMania. That is, assuming the fan base doesn't riot before we get there.

How are we getting to All In, and if not there, where? That's the question this column will endeavor to answer based on an analysis of the events of Dynasty and a general reading of the AEW landscape. The one match we're not going to discuss here is Adam Cole's TNT title victory over Daniel Garcia, since that match was clearly the end of a story and no new story has immediately presented itself. Everything else, however, has a whole host of directions it could go on the road to Arlington — with Dynasty over, where do we go from here?

It wasn't difficult to predict that the Hurt Syndicate's Bobbly Lashley and Shelton Benjamin were going to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships over The Learning Tree's Big Bill and "Bad Apple" Bryan Keith, and it also wasn't hard to see that MJF would interfere in an attempt to get on the good side of the champions. The match itself was nothing to write home about, but the storylines that could come out of it are interesting.

While Benjamin and Lashley didn't look entirely thrilled about MJF interfering, they did retain their titles and MJF didn't get in the way of anything since he was seated behind the ring barricade. It was some of the most subtle inference we've seen in professional wrestling in quite some time – though that's partially due to an AEW production botch before it was replayed. It seems like this could continue for a few weeks, or even until Double or Nothing, with MJF staying out of there way, but assisting the champions until he can no longer be ignored.

With the way the AEW tag team scene is right now, that seems like the best possible story for the Hurt Syndicate. While a powerhouse tag team in the Young Bucks did return later in the night, it doesn't seem like they're going to be focused on the titles anytime soon.

When it comes to the challengers, Chris Jericho lost his ROH Championship later in the night, so, in theory, he doesn't exactly have a leg to stand on when it comes to being angry with Big Bill and Bryan Keith that they also lost their match. At least they didn't lose gold in the process, since they never had it. It's likely, however, Jericho will find a reason to be angry at them and blame them, and hopefully this is where we finally see Big Bill and Bryan Keith break out of the Jericho Vortex and go on to do their own things. If rumors are to be believed that Jericho is moving away from ROH now that he's lost the title, the next logical step would be for The Learning Tree to implode with a match at hopefully Double or Nothing, but likely, at All In Texas to wrap up the story.

Written by Daisy Ruth

With "Timeless" Toni Storm retaining the AEW Women's World Championship at AEW Dynasty, the question of who will be her challenger at All In Texas on July 12 is a step closer to being answered (that is if she holds it until then). The challenger will be determined via the 2025 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, which kicked off at Dynasty as AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Moné eliminated Julia Hart. That leaves seven women left in the tournament, but where AEW could go with the two sides of the bracket could be more surprising than most people suspect.

Starting with Moné since she has already advanced to the semi-finals, she is either going to be facing Harley Cameron, who may or may not have "Mini Moné" by her side but will certainly want revenge after losing to "The CEO" at Grand Slam Australia, or the current ROH Women's World Champion Athena. We've already talked extensively about Moné and Athena finally having the match that everyone wants to see, with our initial predictions being that it would be match at All In Texas, but assuming Athena beats Harley (which we do), they will meet in the semi-finals, which will likely take place on the April 16 episode of "AEW Dynamite" as that show will take place in Moné's hometown of Boston. What's more, that will be the show where "Dynamite" surpasses the length of time "WCW Monday Nitro" was on the air, so they will want to load that show up.

On the other side of the bracket, Jamie Hayter will go one-on-one with Billie Starkz, while Kris Statlander will face off with Thunder Rosa. This is difficult to call as everyone apart from Billie has a genuine chance of making the finals, no disrespect to Billie but it's just not her time yet. That means that Hayter will reach the semi-finals, but whether she faces Statlander or Rosa is up for discussion. For my money, I can see Statlander reaching the semi-finals, setting up her against Hayter in the next round.

Then the tricky part begins. Moné will likely keep hold of her AEW TBS Championship until All In Texas, meaning that, in theory, she is going to suffer her first AEW loss in this tournament. With a match against Athena almost a certainty, a win over the "Fallen Goddess" in the semi-final will set up a rematch at Globe Life Field with all of the titles on the line. As for the other semi-final, Hayter returned at All In last year and is need of something right now, while Statlander has already lost two matches to Moné, and beating her in the tournament final will do wonders for her too.

The women's Owen Hart Cup truly feels like a slam dunk tournament. Everyone in the bracket seems like a solid choice for a winner outside of Mercedes, and even then, Moné vs. Toni Storm is a match worthy of closing out AEW's biggest show of the year.

Written by Sam Palmer

Dynasty saw the storied wrestling friendship between FTR and Cope severed as the team turned on the "Rated-R Superstar" after losing their shot at the World Trios Championship held by the Death Riders. It was not much of a surprise for those who watch the show weekly, however, with the divide between them made abundantly clear in the lead-up to the match, framing their pursuit for gold as the make or break bout for them together. Ultimately it turned out to be the latter, and FTR ensured that much was clear with the both of them taking turns to debilitate Cope, forcing him to be stretchered out of the venue. 

Given the condition they left him in on Sunday it would seem only logical that Cope is due to be on the sidelines for an indefinite length of time, which gives FTR some time to gain some momentum against the wide array of babyface stars before he eventually returns. It would also feel obvious that whenever he does return it will be to feud with FTR, but the odds are hardly in his favor in his best condition and he would likely need a partner to do so. Cope has been known to strike up various alliances since debuting in AEW, even teaming with Jay White at Grand Slam Australia to take on the Death Riders, so there's a litany of names that could join his side. But it would be remiss to ignore the opportunity for him to reunite with a historic partner, Christian Cage. 

Cage tried to get one over on Cope – after already losing their war for the TNT title last year – at Revolution to cash in his contract for the World title, specifically targeting his former best friend before getting choked out by Jon Moxley to lose the match for the both of them. And he appears to have lost the previously undying faith in him as "The Patriarch" from Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian, so perhaps that's the long-game option – especially with All In Texas on the fast approach. Only time will tell.

Written by Max Everett

AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm toppled the undefeated "Goddess of AEW" Megan Bayne with a surprise roll-up after Bayne impressively kicked out of a Storm Zero at just the count of one. Any feud that Storm entered following her epic clashes against Mariah May, and especially after the bloody Hollywood Ending Match at Revolution, was going to feel a bit weird, but these women killed it throughout their match and Bayne was an extremely credible challenger for Storm after only just joining AEW in January.

However, it feels like there's still more that could be explored between these two women, especially after the numerous attempts of interference from Penelope Ford on Bayne's behalf during this match, and of course, the abrupt roll-up ending. That ending worked well against May at "AEW Collision: Grand Slam Australia" because we basically knew there would more than likely be another match between these women, and that could be why it feels like we need a rematch here once again.

There's also not much for Storm to do right now with the 2025 Women's Owen Hart Cup tournament still going on, with the finals culminating at Double or Nothing next month, where Storm should also be defending her title, since she's not locked in to necessarily be the champion when the winner of the tournament gets to challenge for the title at AEW All In Texas. AEW worked to build Bayne up to go in to her match with Storm undefeated, so a rematch with the champion while many of the other women are battling it out in the tournament makes sense. A stipulation match between the pair could be really exciting at Double or Nothing and Storm winning after beating the hell out of Bayne in a hardcore match would make her look much stronger than just the roll-up win heading in to AEW's biggest pay-per-view.

It seems highly likely that Storm will still be holding the championship at All In and will be challenged by either Mercedes Mone or Athena. But, no matter what, there's still plenty of time to be filled between now and All In, so a rematch with Bayne would fit quite well in that time period, since AEW hasn't exactly built up any other women outside of the ongoing Owen.

Written by Daisy Ruth

Now that the dust has settled on the chaotic ending to AEW Dynasty, fans must turn their attention to what lies ahead for the AEW World Championship scene as there are still six potential challengers to Jon Moxley's crown (or briefcase whatever you want to call it) at All In Texas on July 12. The reason we say six challengers is because that is how many men are left in the men's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, with Kevin Knight and Mark Briscoe both being eliminated on April 6 by Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher respectively.

On one side of the bracket, Ospreay will face either Brody King, someone who he has already beaten in a tournament setting thanks to their meeting in the 2024 Continental Classic, and NEVER Openweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita, Ospreay's first opponent in AEW after officially signing with the company, and the man who eventually took the AEW International Championship away from him back at WrestleDream. On the other side of the bracket, Fletcher arguably has a tougher road to glory than his former friend as he will face either Hangman Page, who has his own lengthy history with Moxley, or a mystery wild card opponent that still has a lot of people talking as that person, whoever it may be, could dictate how the rest of the tournament plays out.

To get it out of the way, Ospreay is making it to the final on his side of the bracket. There's arguably no one in AEW right now who is more over with the fans than the "Aerial Assassin," and given his history with both King and Takeshita, it's almost a forgone conclusion that he will make it to the final. As for who he will face in the final at Double or Nothing on May 25, running it back with Fletcher would certainly be a choice, not one that would really seem all that inspiring considering that, before Dynasty, the last time the two men wrestled a pay-per-view match that didn't include the other was WrestleDream, six months ago. Ospreay vs. Fletcher part five is not the right move.

That leaves the match between Hangman Page and the wild card. The idea of Ospreay vs. Hangman is one that has many AEW fans excited as that is a match not only fitting of being a number one contender's match, but one that has not yet happened, making it even more exciting in the process. However, Hangman has lost so many big matches that him losing isn't out of the realm of possibility, so whoever his opponent is will be interesting. Darby Allin is up Mount Everest so it can't be him. Eddie Kingston is not yet cleared (as far as we know) so he's out. Jeff Jarrett might want one more shot at glory and has history with Page, and even Swerve himself could find his way into the tournament. The Owen is here, it's just a question of who faces Ospreay on May 25.

Written by Sam Palmer

Bandido's family was overjoyed when Bandido defeated Chris Jericho to become a two-time Ring of Honor World Champion, but the finish might have left fans understandably confused. The convoluted and messy match finish, while resulting in a victory for Bandido, especially after two other matches with Jericho, may not as joyous of an occasion as it seems, and former champion Jericho may have some ground to stand on in his inevitable championship rematch appeals.

I don't see a world in which Jericho simply takes his ball and goes home after that match restart. Jericho is slimy, Jericho is petty, and Jericho is not humble enough to take this loss gracefully. Of course Jericho is going to invoke rematch clause, in which a previous champion is often reserved the right to challenge for the title they just lost. Typically the rematch clause is a slippery slope, but with the convoluted and irregular way this match's ending went, I think Jericho has valid reason to demand a rematch.

Even just there, there are questions: who is the heel? The logical and most apparent answer is Jericho. Again, he is slimy, petty, and egotistical enough. However, when Jericho's demands are so firmly grounded — yes, that match's finish *was* messy and arguably inconclusive — can we really see Bandido as a face? Jericho used outside interference, but so did Bandido, through his family. Will they run a heel-versus-heel program? I don't doubt either men's capability to pull it off, but it is definitely a riskier play than the typical face-versus-heel tradition we're used to. If they're running babyface Bandido, then how do they explain his family's interference? Do we run babyface Jericho?

In order for this match to conclusively name the rightful ROH World Champion, there would need to be as much of an even playing field as possible. Bandido's family would have to be barred from ringside for this rematch, but so too must Jericho's outside influence — the metal bat namely — be nulled and voided. Either that, or put a bat in Bandido's hands as well, and let him swing against his challenger in an even playing field. Considering this would be Bandido versus Jericho's fourth iteration, there is little satisfying option here other a gruesome, painful Extreme Rules or No Disqualification match. This way, the playing field is even, and there will be no disputing the victor.

No matter what stipulations the rematch has — if it happens, anyway — Bandido is not dropping that title back to Jericho, not after becoming one of the handful of people to become a two-time ROH World Champion. It's going to be hard, however, to convince people of his legitimacy when the title fell into his hands in such a blunderous, clunky way. Even with the Jericho problem in the rear view mirror, Bandido is going to need to put in some serious work to convince the Ring of Honor roster and audience that, yes, he deserves to be the face of the company, as its world champion.

Written by Angeline Phu

Kenny Omega defended his International Championship for the first time on Sunday against "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Ricochet, but he had little time to celebrate his victory as the coin drop preceded the arrival of the Continental Champion, Kazuchika Okada. Much like Omega had done at Worlds End 2024, emerging to stare down his iconic rival after he had defended his title, Okada played to the same beat only for Omega to swiftly leave from the venue; while it's clear that they are on a collision course, it's not yet clear whether this latest interaction served as another isolated teaser or something more immediate. 

There is a belief that they are penciled in for a match at All In Texas in July, which would leave quite some time between Sunday and when they are planned to face. With both serving as champions in their own right, there would be the matter of defending their titles in the meantime and whether or not either will still reign by the time they do face off. Omega's title reign is still relatively young while Okada has held his title for almost 400 days, though there have been stirrings that the titles could be unified, and should July be the plan in actuality then both would likely have challenger(s) decided for Double or Nothing in May as the next pay-per-view. There is also the unsolved matter of where Okada fits in with The Elite after the Young Bucks made their return in the main event of Dynasty ...

Written by Max Everett

There are a lot of questions to be answered in the fallout from Dynasty 2025, but one question has been answered definitively — Tony Khan is not pivoting off his world title storyline. Like it or not, Jon Moxley is still AEW World Champion, the title belt is still securely locked away in his briefcase, and the Death Riders still reign supreme over AEW ... though their relationship with the returning Young Bucks has yet to be revealed.

For challenger Swerve Strickland, the immediate direction in the wake of the Bucks costing him the title seems obvious: a match against them, presumably at All In, with longtime nemesis "Hangman" Adam Page as his tag team partner. As a former member of The Elite, Page has his own lengthy history with Matt and Nick Jackson — as does Kenny Omega, last seen being confronted by Elite member Kazuchika Okada. Folding these six men together with All In as the destination makes a world of sense, though things get messier when you consider the potential involvement of the Death Riders, the Opps, currently absent fourth Elite member Jack Perry, and potentially others. With AEW's immediate attention now turning toward Double or Nothing in May before finally reaching All In a couple months later, it seems likely that some permutation of this group of stars will spend the summer bloodying each other in matches like Anarchy in the Arena and Blood & Guts in preparation for the big show in Texas.

The bigger question, however, is the fate of the world championship, which AEW fans have now been deprived of seeing for six months. Assuming Moxley will be involved in AITA at Double or Nothing, his next credible challenger will likely be the winner of the men's Owen Hart Cup, who gets a title shot at All In, and at the moment the Owen appears to be Will Ospreay's tournament to lose. Ospreay is one of AEW's most popular, talented, and marketable young stars, and a top babyface — it's a bit surprising he hasn't won the AEW world title already. Given the aggressively negative fan response to Moxley defeating Strickland, it's hard to imagine Moxley keeping his title past All In when Tony Khan could crown Ospreay at long last instead.

And yet ... there are variables. For instance, it's very possible (some would say likely) that Moxley vs. Ospreay will not be the main event of All In, given that the show is also likely to feature Omega vs. Okada (their fifth singles match and first on American soil). It would be difficult to justify ending a nine-month Moxley title reign in the semi-main, so perhaps Khan will sweat it out, have Ospreay get screwed over, and do a rematch at Forbidden Door — an event that's heavily associated with Ospreay, is taking place in his home country of England, and likely won't feature the resumption of an all-time classic rivalry. Only now it's late August, and you've come this far — why not wait a little bit longer? Maybe until WrestleDream, the one-year anniversary of Moxley's title win, where he could be dethroned not by Ospreay, but by Darby Allin after he gets back from his climb. Allin Is from the Pacific Northwest, as is Bryan Danielson, who Moxley betrayed to claim the gold; Allin is also the man who was clearly originally meant to take down Moxley and who was written off TV by a Mox attack. Allin, returning triumphant from planting an AEW flag on Mt. Everest, winning the title in his hometown, with Danielson aiding at a crucial moment a year after Mox forced him to retire? Sounds like a TK finish to me.

And all it would mean is six more months of the title in Moxley's briefcase.

Written by Miles Schneiderman