Sports desk weekly rundown: AEW
Welcome back to the sports desk—tonight we’re zeroed in on All Elite Wrestling, from Dynamite’s main‑event chaos to the stories swirling around the company.
Headlines
Thekla says “dumb blonde” jab was aimed at someone else AEW’s Thekla clarified that Mercedes Moné’s “dumb blonde” line wasn’t directed at her, explaining in an interview that the comment was aimed at another person entirely. She stressed there’s no personal issue between them and framed the whole thing as a misunderstanding that got amplified online.
Dave Meltzer says promotion lost Paramount deal due to UFC agreement Dave Meltzer reported that a wrestling promotion recently lost out on a potential Paramount TV deal because the network’s agreement with UFC took priority. With UFC already locked in, there wasn’t room for another combat sports property at the level the promotion wanted, underscoring how crowded the rights landscape has become.
Tony Schiavone compares AEW match to Flair vs. Steamboat Tony Schiavone praised a recent AEW bout—Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay—by saying it had parallels to the classic Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat series. He pointed to the pacing, escalation, and layered storytelling as the kind of match that can define an era, not just a show.
⭐ AEW Dynamite — September 23, 2026
Sports Desk Review — Ed & Gordon
🟦 Ed at the sports desk
“Partner, this was the go‑home Dynamite before All Out, and AEW didn’t waste a second. Champions defending, contenders sharpening their blades, and Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley circling each other like two storms about to collide.”
⭐ FULL MATCH RESULTS
AEW Trios Championship
The New Level & Swerve Strickland def. The Demand Kofi Kingston, Austin Creed, and Swerve continue their revitalized run in AEW, retaining the titles with crisp teamwork and a closing sequence that showed exactly why this trio has become must‑watch.
Jon Moxley def. Dezmond Xavier — Submission
Moxley didn’t play around. He dragged Xavier into deep water, forced scrambles on the mat, and finished with a suffocating submission to send a message directly to Ospreay.
Tommaso Ciampa def. Jake Doyle — Pinfall
Ciampa used this match to tune up for All Out weekend — grinding offense, stiff strikes, and a decisive finish.
TBS Championship
Persephone (c) def. Hyan — Pinfall Persephone continues her dominant run, shutting down Hyan’s early momentum and closing with authority.
Will Ospreay & Speedball Mike Bailey def. Claudio Castagnoli & Gabe Kidd — Pinfall
Ospreay and Bailey blended speed and precision, while Claudio and Kidd leaned into power. Ospreay scored the fall, but the real story came after the bell…
⭐ KEY MOMENTS & ANGLES
Ospreay vs. Moxley — Final Standoff Before All Out
Both men competed separately earlier in the night, but the confrontation afterward was the heartbeat of the show. No cheap shots — just two top champions staring down the weekend.
Three‑Way Ladder Match Segment — Tag Team Division Erupts
FTR, The Young Bucks, and Christian/Cope traded insults about becoming the first four‑time AEW Tag Team Champions. Christian promised to “meet the Bucks’ mothers in Chicago,” Cope reminded everyone he’s been in 40+ ladder matches, and the Bucks fired back with age jokes. It all ended with a Conchairto to Stokely Hathaway, leaving the tag division in absolute chaos heading into All Out.
The New Level’s AEW Renaissance
The broadcast highlighted how Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed left WWE after refusing a pay cut — and how AEW has given them a fresh, joyful second chapter. Their chemistry with Swerve has turned the Trios division upside down.
⭐ Gordon’s closing note on Dynamite
“This wasn’t just a go‑home show — it was a statement. Every division tightened, every rivalry sharpened, and Ospreay and Moxley walked out looking like two men ready to tear Chicago apart.”
🟦 Sports Desk Review — AEW Collision (September 23, 2026)
Fishers Events Center — Fishers, Indiana Hour 3 of the Dynamite/Collision All Out Go‑Home Special
⭐ Ed at the sports desk
“Partner, if Dynamite was the spark, Collision was the explosion. This final hour wasn’t filler — it was a full‑tilt sprint toward All Out. Every division, every rivalry, every loose thread got yanked tight.”
⭐ Gordon’s match‑by‑match breakdown
Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher def. The Outrunners
Knight and Fletcher opened Collision with crisp double‑teams, but Turbo Floyd and Magnum kept pace with old‑school fire. The Outrunners hit their signature double elbow drop, nearly stealing it, until Fletcher’s sheer‑drop brainbuster and Knight’s UFO Splash sealed the win. Post‑match, Fletcher cut a heated promo declaring Knight “family” and promising to burn through Darby Allin & Steven Borden at All Out. Darby and Borden responded from the rafters, refusing to walk into a Don Callis Family ambush.
Queen Aminata def. Skye Blue
Aminata and Blue tore into each other with sharp strikes and counters. Julia Hart repeatedly interfered, dragging Skye out of danger and setting up a suplex on the floor. But Aminata rallied, hit Off With Her Head, and scored the pin. Chaos erupted afterward: Julia attacked Aminata, Mina Shirakawa jumped in, Thekla stormed out, and Willow Nightingale cleaned house — all while Mercedes Moné stood on the announce desk reminding everyone who the champion is.
PAC def. Ace Austin
Ace Austin tried to slow PAC with mat control and a Death Valley Driver, but PAC’s speed and precision turned the tide. A release German, a corner suplex, and finally the Black Arrow ended it. PAC locked in the Brutalizer until Jay White made the save. This triggered a full‑scale brawl: Dogs, Death Riders, Bang Bang Gang — bodies everywhere. Andrade El Idolo arrived, clotheslined PAC in the crowd, and Collision ended in absolute bedlam.
⭐ Major Collision Segments
Jack Perry addresses HOOK & Shibata
Perry smirked through a promo about surviving Katsuyori Shibata at the All Out Tailgate Brawl — the only way HOOK will let him near Samoa Joe.
Face‑to‑Face: Brawling Birds & Divine Dominion
A tea set and crumpets on the stage — Dominion’s “gift” to the champs. It didn’t stay polite. Dominion blindsided the Birds and stood tall heading into All Out.
Jericho & Nick Wayne confrontation
Jericho praised Wayne’s guts, compared their early careers, and invoked Nick Bockwinkel’s advice about slowing down. Wayne fired back with arrogance, and Jericho accepted a rematch — Grand Slam France.
Thunder Rosa returns
After Hyan’s loss to Persephone, she introduced her new partner — Thunder Rosa — setting up a tag match in Brittsburgh next week.
Britt Baker & Persephone respond
Baker welcomed Rosa back to Pittsburgh, and Persephone issued an open challenge for All Out (excluding Hyan, Thunder, and Maya World).
⭐ Ed’s Collision closing note
“Partner, this wasn’t just a bonus hour — this was AEW emptying the tank. Every match had stakes, every promo had teeth, and every rivalry walked straight into All Out with fists clenched.”
⭐ Gordon’s final word
“Collision gave us the last snapshots before the storm: PAC and Andrade fighting into the crowd, Aminata rising, Fletcher and Knight sharpening their edge, and Jericho passing down lessons from legends. If Dynamite set the table, Collision flipped it.”
Other AEW activity & buzz
Gordon’s quick hits
- Card positioning for pay‑per‑view: AEW continues to build toward its next major event with Ospreay vs. Moxley as a centerpiece, while the tag and women’s divisions quietly shuffle contenders through TV matches and promos.
- Rights and media chatter: Meltzer’s note about a promotion losing a Paramount deal due to UFC, plus Tony Khan’s broader comments about mergers and media consolidation in other interviews, keep AEW’s TV future in the conversation—even when the company isn’t directly named.
- Locker room perception: Schiavone’s comparison of Omega vs. Ospreay to Flair vs. Steamboat isn’t just nostalgia; it signals how highly AEW’s own people rate the in‑ring standard they’re trying to maintain.
Ed’s AEW note
“AEW’s week feels less like a series of isolated matches and more like a long drumroll—rights talk in the background, big‑match praise from the commentary booth, and a roster that knows every TV outing is part of a bigger argument about where this company sits in the modern landscape.”
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin – sports desk spotlight
Gordon’s history
“When we talk about matches that changed the way people saw wrestling, Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin is always near the top of the list.”
- The most famous chapter came at WrestleMania 13 in 1997: a submission match where Austin, blood pouring down his face, refused to tap to Bret’s Sharpshooter and passed out instead.
- That finish turned Austin from a loudmouth heel into a defiant anti‑hero, while Bret’s frustration with the fans’ reaction pushed him toward a darker, more bitter role.
- Their rivalry blended technical wrestling, brawling, and character work in a way that helped define the Attitude Era, showing that a double turn could be pulled off in one match without a single spoken word.
Ed’s closing word
“AEW’s trying to craft its own Omega‑Ospreay‑level epics right now, and you can hear it when Schiavone invokes Flair and Steamboat. But the shadow of Bret vs. Austin is always there—a reminder that one match, on one night, can tilt an entire company’s direction. That’s the bar every big AEW main event is quietly chasing.”