AEW WrestleDream (Oct. 18, 2025) was headlined by the I Quit match between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin with a surprise appearance from Sting at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, MO. The PPV also included The Opps turning heel on Hangman Page, Toni Storm heartbroken, Mercedes Moné breaking Ultimo Dragon’s record, and much more. Let’s break it all down.
Based on all the insanity heading into this PPV, the question wasn’t so much who would win between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin in the I Quit main event. It was more how far the fight would go to determine a winner. Trying to kill someone with a Molotov cocktail sets a high bar. The match didn’t get crazy to that level, but there was plenty of torture. Plus, it’s Sting!!!
Torture methods of choice were Moxley trying to knock out Allin’s teeth, skewering Allin’s fingernails, and drowning Allin in a fish tank. The match had a nice callback to Moxley’s history in the early going when Allin choked Mox with the AEW flag and hung him over the ropes. Moxley composed himself to thumb Allin in the eye to escape. That was a similar visual to how Mox lost to Hangman in the past, so it was interesting to see Mox overcome that mental hurdle.
Later, Allin sprayed lighter fluid on Moxley. The Death Riders rushed the ring. Mox struck with a cutter, and that bought time to wipe off the fluid with a towel. There would be no flames on this evening. There would be a taser though. Moxley stunned Allin.
For my money, the best spot came from Claudio Castagnoli. He gorilla pressed Allin out of the ring onto the commentary table.
Moxley followed for a Death Rider off the apron through tables.
Moxley’s goons filled a fish tank with water in the center of the ring, and Mox dunked Allin.
Allin still refused to quit. Lights out. Sting was there to save the day. He beat up the Death Riders with his baseball bat, and he smashed the fish tank.
Now that the odds were fair, Sting handed his trusty weapon over to Allin. Batter up. Allin whacked Moxley repeatedly. Time for some wrestling moves. Allin blitzed for a Scorpion Death Drop, a Coffin Drop, and the Scorpion Death Lock. Moxley quit. Allin rejoiced in victory.
Well, that I Quit match was certainly a spectacle. Enjoyment of that craziness definitely varies to each their own. Personally, I rolled my eyes at a lot of the torture. Trying to drown someone isn’t the type of thing I signed up for when choosing to watch professional wrestling.
In terms of story, the fight was mostly about how much punishment Allin would take. That aspect was effective. As for the big question of how this fight would finish, it was okay. The Sting surprise was great. Allin’s explosion of offense was exciting. Moxley tapping out quickly felt weak. Commentary gave the impression that Moxley was on top of the broken glass from the fish tank, so that was the real pain more so than the submission. I don’t think it was a strong visual in that case. We couldn’t really see lots of glass on the mat to feel his pain through the screen. Another story angle could be Moxley punking out as a blowhard heel.
Now that it’s over, I can’t help but shrug. Is this really the end of the feud? Allin vowed to take everything from Moxley. As far as I can tell, it should be business as usual for Moxley leading the Death Riders come Wednesday for Dynamite. We’ll see if there is further exploration in this story.
Let’s run down the rest of the card from top to bottom. Get caught up on the WrestleDream details with the excellent play-by-play (here) from Claire Elizabeth.
AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) defeated Samoa Joe to retain the title. Slobberknocker. Down the stretch, Joe dodged a Buckshot lariat to snatch Hangman’s neck for the Coquina Clutch. The cowboy was fading, but he dug deep to reach the ropes with his foot for the break. Hangman rallied by escaping out the back on a Musclebuster to counter for the Deadeye piledriver. Joe kicked out on the cover.
Hangman went into overdrive for three consecutive buckshot lariats to win. Afterward, The Opps joined Joe in the ring. Joe showed respect to the champion. Swerve! The Opps pummeled Hangman to turn heel. Joe planted him with a Musclebuster onto the world title belt.
Solid fight. Joe choked Hangman into deep waters, and the cowboy showed the heart of a champion to rally. He proved that he is not a pretender. I like the touch of hammering Joe with so many Buckshot lariats to drive home the victory with emphasis. The heel turn was surprising, mostly because it feels like this feud now has to continue. My initial reaction is that nobody was asking for The Opps to be heels. I enjoyed cheering that trio. I have full faith in Joe that he will make this chapter entertaining. Plus, I hope we get Hangman versus Shibata and Hobbs.
AEW World Tag Team Championship: Brodido (c) defeated Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita to retain the titles. There were two stories at play. First was Bandido’s injured shoulder. The Callis Family focused on targeting that joint, and the pain prevented Bandido from executing a few moves, such as the 21 Plex. The other angle was tension between Okada and Takeshita. In the climax, Okada cleaned Takeshita’s clock with the Rainmaker. That was an accident, but Okada didn’t feel bad about it. He flashed that shit-eating grin.
Unfortunately for Okada, he was now outnumbered. Brody King led the charge and gave a quick pep talk for Bandido not to quit fighting (shoulder). King cleared out Takeshita on a suicide dive, and Bandido hit the 21 Plex to pin Okada. There were actually three stories. King finally did the Macarena in celebration.
Excellent action with a wholesome vibe from the heroic babyfaces. It was tried and true storytelling of overcoming adversity. Brodido are so likeable as a team. The beef between Okada and Takeshita should now reach a boiling point, and that feud will cook.
TBS Championship vs. ROH Interim Women’s World Television Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) defeated Mina Shirakawa (c) to win both titles. The CEO issued an open challenge for title versus title, so she can break Ultimo Dragon’s record of ten championships at the same time. Mina pushed Mercedes to the limit by unloading her signature offense. Mercedes was in serious trouble on the figure-four. The CEO came back with the Statement Maker submission. Mercedes relied on cheap tricks to win. She scored a backslide with feet on the ropes for leverage to win.
Very good match. The result of Mercedes winning was obvious, however, Mina was so strong that she caused me to get lost in the moment. The flow of the match was executed well to draw attention. I was as shocked as Mercedes when Mina reached the ropes on the Moné Maker. Mercedes relying on cheating to break Ultimo Dragon’s record was icing on the cake as a heel move.
AEW Women’s World Championship: Kris Statlander (c) defeated Toni Storm to retain the title. Timeless arrived with a noir vignette.
Statlander entered to a retro sci-fi vignette.
Excellent match. The flow went from technical wrestling to power moves as the match progressed. In the end, Statlander gained the upper hand on a discus lariat. She executed the Saturday Night Fever piledriver then transitioned to a submission. Storm refused to quit, so Statlander rolled into another Saturday Night Fever to win triumphantly.
Storm passed the torch to Statlander to legitimize this world title reign. Stat’s first win could be seen as a fluke with the seat belt pin in that four-way bout. There’s no more doubt now. Statlander won with style in the first one-on-one meeting with Storm. The strategy angle was smooth in the match with smart counters, such as Statlander putting her hands down to block the Storm Zero piledriver.
The scissored armbar submission from Statlander looked brutal the first time she applied the hold earlier in the match. The closing scissored armbar was an effective visual squeezing Storm’s head with her legs to add extra oomph. StatDaddy is the unquestioned world champion.
After the match, Mercedes Moné cut Statlander’s celebration short to plant seeds for that future showdown. After the CEO’s win, Statlander repaid the favor with a slam. Backstage, Mercedes declared that she is coming for the world title at Full Gear.
Also of note, Toni and Mina were dejected about losing, but they still have each other. That was a strong hint for the women’s tag team title tournament.
TNT Championship: Kyle Fletcher (c) defeated Mark Briscoe to retain the title. Briscoe wanted to get rowdy, so Fletcher chose to slow it down. Once Fletcher gained control, he picked up the pace on offense. Briscoe rallied for a Jay Driller on the apron. His next flurry was a barrage of froggy bows all over the ring inside and outside.
Fletcher survived the onslaught to kick out. Briscoe surged again for the Jay Driller, however, Fletcher was able to reach the ropes to break the pin. The finish showcased Briscoe’s toughness and Fletcher’s determination. A low blow led to the brainbuster, and Briscoe kicked out. Fletcher poured on the offense to close with a brainbuster on the turnbuckles. That finally put Dat Boy down for three.
This was match 5 in their personal series with the implication of finishing the feud for now. Fletcher and Briscoe went with the big match vibe. Fletcher is such a good heel that the crowd was eager for Briscoe to win, and that support was loud on the near falls. Fletcher earned a strong win. I like the way he turned up the heat at the end. That is the way a champion closes. The rise of Fletcher continues.
The Hurt Syndicate defeated The Demand. Tornado rules in #1 contender match for AEW trios titles. The Demand ambushed the Hurt Syndicate and kept the pedal to the metal to put down MVP’s crew. GOA slammed Shelton Benjamin on top of Bobby Lashley crashing through a table.
That gave the Demand time to work over MVP, but they couldn’t get the job done. Lashley revived for a power rally. Shelton had a dope suplex on Ricochet over the ropes onto a pile of bodies outside, then he followed for a cannonball. MVP popped the crowd balling on Ricochet.
In the end, teamwork flow set up Lashley for a spear on Liona. The Hurt Syndicate surrounded Ricochet, but Bishop Kaun pulled his man out to take his spot. The Hurt Syndicate teed off on Kaun, and Lashley hit a spear. Shelton made the cover to win.
This match felt right in place with the series. The Demand fought tough, and the Hurt Syndicate were tougher. The Demand’s stock improved due to their success in this feud. The blow-off went to the Hurt Syndicate to re-establish themselves atop the pecking order. Next up is The Opps, and that should be intense. Now that The Opps are heels, that throws a monkey wrench into the mix. I assumed the Hurt Syndicate would relieve Joe’s posse of the titles. I’m not so sure anymore. Losing that quickly could kneecap The Opps as heels out of the gate. It should be interesting moving forward.
Jurassic Express defeated Young Bucks. $500,000 cash prize to the winners. AEW humorously mocked the Bucks going through hard times. The transaction to fund their entrance was denied. They only have $32.17 left in the account. The cash was stuffed in a bag on the commentary table. No word if those were Okada bucks.
The crowd was hot for Luchasaurus, and he deserved that reaction with power offense and agility on a leap frog and moonsaults. The match had a few dramatic kick-outs and saves from Doomsday Device and BTE Trigger finishers. In the end, the Bucks set up Jack Perry for the Meltzer Driver. Luchasaurus prevented the maneuver by goozling Nick Jackson for a chokeslam. Perry countered Matt Jackson for a reverse rana. Jurassic Express set up the Extinction teamwork powerbomb to win as Perry pinned Matt for the win.
Afterward, soap opera drama unfolded. Perry offered his hand to the Bucks and passed them a stack of cash. The Callis Family attacked Jurassic Express. The Bucks walked away without helping either side. Kenny Omega arrived for the save as the babyfaces stood tall. The Bucks still walked out without helping Omega.
Entertaining tag team bout. Jurassic Express picked up an impressive win, and they should jump the line into the title contender pool. The near falls were executed well. In my view, they never tipped their hand on who would win until it was over. The Elite soap opera drama isn’t hitting yet for me. The Bucks haven’t reached rock bottom to be redeemed, so the Omega bit with them isn’t making me care about a reunion. Of course, an Elite reunion should happen eventually, but I’m not feeling that story yet. There is one question that commentary brought up that demands an answer on screen. What is a dinosaur going to spend his money on?
Jamie Hayter defeated Thekla. Everyone banned from ringside. Thekla speared Hayter, but Hayter’s foot was under the ropes on the pin. Thekla set up in her spider pose for another spear. This time, Hayter answered with a hefty lariat. Hayter followed by hitting hard on the Hayterade lariat to win. Afterward, Queen Aminata celebrated with Hayter, and the Sisters of Sin stood on stage as a tease for Blood & Guts.
Sneaky good match. It was overshadowed on paper for PPV, but Hayter and Thekla excelled with feisty attitude. There was tit-for-tat sass, such as Hayter honoring Lou Thesz’s widow then Thekla dissing Charlie. Thekla also had sweet spider submissions dangerously close to tapping Hayter. The finish set up nicely for Hayter to knock the Thekla silly.
FTR defeated JetSpeed. Mike Bailey tried to suplex Dax Harwood, but Stokely Hathway hooked Speedball’s foot. Harwood landed on top for the pin to win as Stokely anchored on Bailey’s foot to prevent a kick-out.
Tag team action! This match delivered with a nice level of intensity for the feud. The wrestling was exciting with several cool sequences. Two in particular stood out to me. Knight flipped and flipped, but FTR still caught him for a Shatter Machine. Bailey broke the pin on an Ultima Weapon. Later, FTR hit the Powerplex combo followed by a UFO splash from Knight. The win makes sense for cheating heels to advance up the ladder. The babyfaces stay hot, and there is still meat on the bone for a rematch.
The Tailgate Brawl pre-show featured three and a quarter matches. The FTR bout started for a few minutes before finishing on the PPV.
Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron defeated Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford. Harley dodged a spear, and Bayne crashed into the ring post. Willow dove onto Bayne outside to take out the Megasus. Harley got the upper hand on Ford for a pumphandle suplex. Tag to Willow for the gutwrench powerbomb to win. Bayne was a beast like always. Ford showed flash, such as her moonsault to the outside. Willow and Harley seem to be gearing up as a tag team. They wore matching colors and incorporated a few teamwork moves. I like how the finish played out by eliminating Bayne from the mix then showing urgency to win while she was down.
Eddie Kingston & Hook defeated Griff Garrison & Cole Karter. Spinning backfist and Redrum on Karter sealed the deal. The New York crew handled business without too much trouble. It was weird that Kingston and Hook fought like heels at the start to attack during introductions, and Kingston choked one of them with his t-shirt. It’s not like they needed the jump-start to beat these bozos. The Frat House are supposed to be annoying, so I guess that’s the rationale in accepting that behavior from the babyfaces. Also of note, LFI warned the Kingston and Hook that their beef isn’t over.
Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta, & Daniel Garcia defeated Orange Cassidy, Tomohiro Ishii, Kyle O’Reilly, & Roderick Strong. Cool action, such as Claudio colliding with the Stone Pitbull and the transition sequence from giant swing to sleeper to airplane spin slam between Claudio and Cassidy. In the end, Ishii surged with momentum. Yuta clipped the knee from behind, and PAC delivered a running knee to pin Ishii. Death Riders won as they should have. Big bad heel groups need to win these types of matches with no real stakes.
Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero beat up Big Boom AJ to hype the tag match at Full Gear.
Stud of the Show: Darby Allin
Allin withstood torture to rally for the victory in honor of AEW.
Match of the Night: Kris Statlander vs. Toni Storm
The women’s world title bout and the tag title contest were neck and neck in my view. I’m leaning with Statlander and Storm for stepping up their game. It was interesting to see the chess match unfold. Their battle made it feel like the most important championship in the world.
Great wrestling. The matches were pretty breezy. Do what you want with the I Quit match.
Share your thoughts about AEW WrestleDream. PPV replay is available for streaming through PPV.com, HBO Max, Amazon, YouTube, and Triller TV, depending on your region.
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