Jon Moxley returns to action at AEW Dynamite in Norfolk

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A leopard can’t change its spots. With Jon Moxley forced to follow the rules for one-on-one combat with the AEW Continental Championship, it is easy to forget that he is a killer at heart. After the main event of Dynamite (Sep. 16, 2026), Moxley went back to his neck breaking ways. There was no attempted murder on this episode thanks to Will Ospreay, but the message was sent to the world champ. Dynamite also featured Christian Cage being sleazy, Chris Jericho taking Nick Wayne’s mojo, Okada with the laugh of the night, challengers in line for the trios titles scene, and more from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, VA. Jon Moxley breaking necks Ospreay wanted the full Death Riders battalion, and it looks like he will get it. Ospreay and Moxley led trios teams to clash in the main event. Moxley explained that he didn’t want Ospreay to follow him. He wants Ospreay to lead AEW. I don’t like how Moxley downplays holding the world title. I understand that his stance is philosophical, but it borderlines on the idea if he doesn’t care about the world title then why should we. I might be giving Moxley too much credit, and this could be a heel in denial. Gabe Kidd and PAC were pumped to do real damage. PAC’s stare at Moxley planted the seeds for what was to come. "I never wanted you to follow me, Will. I wanted you to lead."@JonMoxley knows that this was inevitable. And at #AEWAllOut, AEW World Champion @WillOspreay will know that whatever happens is HIS responsibility! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/pyfcKmLUOC — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Ospreay, Andrade, and Francesco Akira were ready to fight the Death Riders. Ospreay served a softball over the plate about Andrade to hit his catchphrase. “How you know?” #AEW World Champion @WillOspreay reflects on the history of the United Empire, the group he started! But with #AEW National Champion and number 1 contender @AndradeElIdolo in the group, things get a little awkward. Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/1ZnkXlf252 — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 The big draw of the main event was to see Ospreay engage with Moxley. Mox bailed on the first exchange without throwing hands. The second exchange was a stalemate. Ospreay got the upper hand on the third exchange. The smooth movement between them has me excited for All Out. Mox and @WillOspreay go to war 10 days before their AEW World Championship match at #AEWAllOut! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/FePG9a3ElD — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 We take a break to post Andrade taking his pants off. The consumer testing panel shows Cagesiders love that. The pants are off, and @WillOspreay is in! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/8Vb2UiZFKh — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 The match unfolded with Akira as the weak link. He showed plenty of fire, but he isn’t on the same level as the rest in this match. Moxley had Akira in his sights. Kidd hit a piledriver to Ospreay on the floor, and PAC executed a poison rana to Andrade on the floor. Moxley delivered a statement in pain with two Paradigm Shifts, one Death Rider, and the bulldog choke to win. Mox gets the win for his team, as @WillOspreay is forced to watch the pain! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/FSb8MEyJBy — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Afterward, Moxley added insult to injury on Akira. He handed the steel chair to Kidd to break his neck. Ospreay recovered in time for the save with a barrage of Hidden Blades. AEW World Champion @WillOspreay fends off the Death Riders and The Dogs! Watch the #AEWDynamite replay on HBO Max pic.twitter.com/zK6WBE2Dyj — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 These post-match shenanigans serves three purposes. One, it demonstrates that Moxley is in kill mode. There is still wiggle room to wonder if Mox will pull the trigger on Ospreay. Two, the numbers game plants seeds of uncertainty if Ospreay can overcome at All Out. Three, wheels are in motion for Ospreay’s United Empire story, whether it be new recruits or smoothing sails with Callum Newman for the greater good. Let’s jam through the rest of Dynamite. Catch up on all the details with excellent play-by-play from Claire Elizabeth. Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Darby Allin, & Steven Borden defeated FTR, Kyle Fletcher, & Kevin Knight. Christian roused rabbles in the pre-match promo for the 8-man tag. He expressed his sorrow to Borden for the loss of Sting… loss of Sting’s in-ring career. That was hilarious coming from Christian with the reputation of a widow romancer. Allin and Christian also had beef that hasn’t chilled from feuding in 2023 over the TNT title. Copeland got them to agree that the focus is tonight on the match. .@RatedRCope is impressed with @StevenBorden ahead of tonight's 8-Man Tag Match – but when @Christian4Peeps offers his thoughts, @DarbyAllin weighs in! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/5WzkXE0cUP — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 On the heel side, Fletcher and Knight had bigger egos than FTR. They proposed being inserted into the tag title ladder match at All Out after beating the Young Bucks. "We can talk about that after we win at #AEWAllOut!" It looks like FTR and the Don Callis Family have business to discuss … later! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/7RffWNyg2a — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Borden scored an exciting rally to show his athleticism, but he was also victim to sweet quadruple teamwork from the heels. Dax Harwood snapped a superplex, Cash Wheeler followed for a flying splash, Fletcher added a flying elbow drop, and Knight soared for a UFO splash. Allin saved Sting Jr. on the pin. FTR, @KyleFletcherPro and @Jet2Flyy with the punishment on @StevenBorden! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/jdqBcS9ywm — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 In the end, the babyfaces were focused on as a unit. Copeland speared Knight out of the air. Christian hit signature moves on Fletcher and Wheeler outside. That cleared the coast for a Coffin Death Drop with Allin and Borden. Hijo del Sting covered Harwood for the win. Coffin Drop + Scorpion Death Drop = victory! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/3hktJbsWVY — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Lots of great action, but it was the little details that stood out. Starting with Christian. Borden hugged Cope, then he offered a handshake to Christian. Christian reluctantly accepted then wiped his hand on his pants to remove the germs. Christian and Allin also shared a tit-for-tat tagging themselves in on one another. Christian slyly hit Harwood with a chair out of the ref’s sight to kick-start the finish. After the win, Christian helped Allin to his feet, then he posed with TNT title right in Allin’s face. These things are funny on their own. It’s even better with Cope as the super babyface in contract to Christian as an a-hole. 👀👀👀 Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/gsg4F770T7 — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 AEW is doing their best to take the wind out of the sails for the ladder match at All Out. First, the Young Bucks lose to Fletcher & Knight. Now, Harwood takes the pin here. For a match that is supposed to be full of GOATs, it’s turning into a bunch of losers heading into the PPV. At least, AEW has a different purpose in mind. They booked Allin & Borden versus Fletcher & Knight at All Out to determine contenders after the ladder match. What’s done is done, and I can appreciate the effort of not making the wins meaningless in this case. Chris Jericho defeated Nick Wayne. This match was entertaining in ring work and as characters. Wayne wrestled well with big offense and smart defense. The story was a learning lesson, so Jericho showed veteran tactics of his own. Jericho found Wayne’s ultimate weakness by ripping off his puka shell necklace. That was like Samson cutting his hair. Wayne was dejected. Jericho grabbed Wayne for the Liontamer, but he sat down for a stacking pin on a counter roll to surprise the youngster. Afterward, Wayne stewed in anger and attacked Jericho with a chair. All it took was a momentary lack of focus from @TheNickWayne for @IAmJericho to capitalize! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/bBLt3DF91v — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 I understand if the puka necklace finish gets criticism as too goofy. I found in interesting. It grabbed my attention and acts as a way to extend the feud. Wayne is a playboy with puka shell power to attract the ladies. Jericho had the audacity to steal that mojo. I wonder if the bigger picture is to evolve Wayne’s attitude as a character to elevate his status up the ladder. Hangman Page & Brodido defeated Conglomeration. Winners receive a trios title shot at All Out. The action was hearty, as were the laughs too. Orange Cassidy slunk away from Brody King’s chop. King also caught/blocked Cassidy’s superman punch in one hand. Roderick Strong executed battering ram offense with Cassidy only for Hangman to catch OC on a fallaway slam and deliver one himself. Cassidy and Hangman traded turns playing pony. 🤠 🤠 🤠 Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/x36uh7ZBtN — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 In the end, moves were delivered all around. Strong shoved Cassidy out of the way of a bludgeoning, then Hangman blindsided Strong with a Buckshot Lariat to win. I appreciate AEW booking this into a fun contender match rather than just handing a shot to the former champs without earning it. That is a momentum builder. Sticking with the trios division, the champs were scheduled for a promo session. The Demand ambushed them on the way to the ring. AEW booked Swerve Strickland & New Level against Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, & Toa Liona for the titles next week on Dynamite. Winners advance to All Out. I get the purpose of hyping the match, but this felt like a wasted segment for Swerve and New Level. They didn’t get a chance to do anything interesting. Popping up like horror villians to inflict damage, The Demand get the jump on the Trios Champions as #AEWDynamite is LIVE on TBS and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/tHksOT4wpQ — AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) September 17, 2026 Tommaso Ciampa defeated Myles Hawkins. The underdog took his time to make sure he was ready to start. Ciampa blasted a running knee for a one-hitter quitter to win. The real purpose of Ciampa’s presence was to set up an international title match against Okada at All Out. The pre-match promo showed Ciamps stating his desire to face Okada. Later in the show, Okada gave his answer in hilarious fashion. I love how Renee Paquette has to press for a deeper answer, then Okada goes full Okada. The thoughtfulness of his delivery was the laugh of the night. Ciampa attacked and has his title match for All Out. "I've given this a lot of thought … and @MrTommasoCiampa is a bitch!" Looks like Ciampa disagrees, @rainmakerxokada! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/cP4rhG2uCp — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Lena Kross defeated Jamie Hayter. Hard-hitting slagfest. Kross attacked before the bell, so she controlled the pace until Hayter rallied with clotheslines and dropkicks. This was a solo fight without backup, then Megan Bayne ran in as a distraction on the finish. Kross grabbed a pipe to clobber Hayter and finish via Jackhammer suplex. Windsor arrived too late armed with a table leg. That bout of fisticuffs was an excellent appetizer for the street fight at All Out. They laid each other out over and over. .@MeganBayne with the distraction, @Lena_Kross with the pipe – and the jackhammer! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/RdHYvuXRp0 — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Speaking of slags, Renee read a funny slang quote from Hayter. Before @Lena_Kross and @jmehytr battle on Dynamite, @ReneePaquette shares an … interesting report from Hayter's fellow AEW Women's World Tag Team Champion, Alex Windsor! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/CNbZ0VHvNT — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 The Brawling Birds doubled down on slag talk. Hayter’s sputtering raspberry in her weakened condition cracks me up. This goes back to that attention to little details. "If it ain't nailed down, it's going down your throat or up your ass!" A short and simple message from the AEW Women's World Tag Team Champions, The Brawling Birds, to Divine Dominion after what happened tonight! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/ZOpPwE6t5z — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Notes: Mercedes Moné won’t be cleared to compete to defend the women’s world title at All Out. AEW pivoted to Thekla versus Willow Nightingale at the PPV. The winner gets their title shot at WrestleDream. Thekla speaks, so watch the clip. An update on AEW Women's World Champion @MercedesVarnado sets the stage for @Toxic_Thekla vs @WillowWrestles! Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/QD2JJ02p6C — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Jack Perry called out Samoa Joe to test himself against former world champions. Damn. That was an unexpected surprise to bring Joe back into the mix. I like the brass ones on Jungle Man. View this post on Instagram Andrade spoke about his family legacy in lucha libre. Their sacrifice makes it his destiny to win the world title. Legacy and tradition run through the veins of #AEW National Champion @AndradeElIdolo! Now, he speaks on his destiny to become #AEW World Champion. Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS + HBO Max pic.twitter.com/Ui43IlKmvI — All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 17, 2026 Studs of the Show: Jaime Hayter and Lena Kross Hoss fight! I don’t know if Hayter and Kross technically qualify as hosses. They fought like it though. Match of the Night: Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Darby Allin, & Steve Borden vs. FTR, Kyle Fletcher, & Kevin Knight Hectic pace and a fluid flow with purpose. Keep your head on a swivel watching this one. Grade: B Fun night of action with even funnier bits of comedy. This episode had several low-key laughs. Share your thoughts about AEW Dynamite. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show? Who impressed you the most?