Quick Thoughts: AEW WrestleDream 2025

Weren’t we just here? Like a few weeks ago for All Out? Man these PPVs are too close together it really doesn’t give time for things to breath. The sweet spot is 6 a year every other month give time to build and give time to rest my wallet, please. Anywho, as said before 2025 is a good year to great for AEW the perception of wrestling has changed and people stopped believing puff pieces about WWE and that Triple H is a humble man that hates the spotlight. I’ve said it since he took over nothing but a bald fraud. I do find it funny that people who say that hate MAGA and all things associated with it still watch WWE routinely ooooh who am I calling out you’ll never know.

Getting back to AEW what can I say I haven’t said what 6/7 times this year? Product is good, local media promotion is bad not everyone is on social media do the work and people come into the building. There’s too many PPVs nothing really has time to build and it’s shown with no real top heel challenger for Hangman so this Joe feud is cobbled together. You have Blood and Guts and then Full Gear a week later like come on calm down slow it down, way down. Either way let’s give you the good ol’ thoughts on the card the like 4 of you that read this seemingly enjoy.

Tailgate Brawl
So these are just a thing now? Hey, that’s good it means you have to care and book things people want to see instead of just going I dunno fucking 8 man tag. I’m still not covering these until the consistency reaches 4 let’s see it continue first. This is a good sign though as of Tuesday two exciting matches that you’d hope hook people in and get a few last minute buys (almost like that is what a pre-show should do). Matches with stakes and heat are good keep the only announced 12 hours before hand pre-show matches for ROH.

Main Card

JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & "Speedball" Mike Bailey vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) with Stokley
Ok so this started on the pre-show but ended on the main show so I'm adding this last minute as just a match I mean yeah sure. Interesting opening of the show still fighting as the pyro went off. I don't have much to say on this if I'm honest and I'm too tired to do a Dropkick rating for each match as I didn't get my nap in. It was fun but man JetSpeed need some big wins let's do that.

Jamie Hayter vs. Thekla
Man what an addition Thekla is to AEW. I never heard or really felt that she was this good in STARDOM. I guess it’s a right place for the right person (like EC3 in TNA). It’s good to see Jamie back but please don’t get hurt again you’re too good to not see you wrestle. This match as of time of writing (it’s like 12 hours before Dynamite) has no stipulation to it but should be for the women advantage for Blood and Guts, I know this is a grudge match but might as well add to it. As it’s stands the teams are 3 vs. 2 so will we see and the odds evened or the heel team get established more. Lots to do in this match and lots to come out of it. Good match I enjoyed it but would've had some post match stuff to start building up the teams for Blood & Guts but still good (kinda) opening match. 

$500,000 Match: Jurassic Express (Jack Perry & Luchasaurus) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
What is the current gimmick for Jurassic Express? They’re back together but Jack is still kinda doing heel things? I saw someone speculate it’ll be a Frankenstein monster type thing where Luchasaurus sees through the heel shit Jack does and turns on him and is finally a face on his own (bad idea I don’t think Luchasaurus is a singles star and is better in a group). Young Bucks remain entertaining in this current role as they literally can only buy friends. I do expect a Jurassic Express win here. If AEW play this right they’ll have a broke Corbin story for Young Bucks but just need to not fuck it like WWE did (I remain convinced Corbin could’ve become a top face off the back of that story it literally was calling for fan support). This match ruled man oh my I didn't expect it to be that good. Jack Perry remembered how to 

Trios Match: The Hurt Syndicate (MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) vs. The Demand (Ricochet, Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun)
I don’t know why we have this match on the card. I guess they needed a rubber match but to go normal match, to gimmick to normal I dunno unless something happens in Dynamite to have a new member to the Hurt Syndicate to replace MVP I just don’t see the need.wrestler and it's all good stuff. I really enjoyed this and it overdelivered similar to last month maybe I should stop underestimating these matches. Fun stuff do a Trios Title change man give the titles some life. 

AEW TNT Championship Match: Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Mark Briscoe
I was going to say how Kyle Fletcher should win WON most improved award for 2025 and then saw he won it in 2024 so not sure if he can. Still what a year it’s been for The Protostar. At last years WrestleDream he turned on Will Ospreay and has been on a run that many felt he had the potential for and overdelivered. Kyle Fletcher is a top singles act (although Aussie Open should still win the tag titles at some point). With all the praise Kyle has gotten I do think Mark should get in equal measure. I saw a comparison that if Hangman is the Austin of AEW then Briscoe is the Foley. A man who takes all the punishment but gets up and fights, it’s weird I never would’ve thought I’d love a singles run Mark Briscoe as much as I have and that’s a testament to him not just as a performer but as a person to overcome such a horrible family tragedy. This match should be good after all it is their fifth match 1 on 1. This does have potential to be match of the night so let’s see. Another great match by these two and the right winner. Fletcher keeps going from strength to strength and man the TNT means something again due to this reign. Keep it up. 

AEW Women’s World Championship Match: Kris Statlander (c) vs. ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm
Following on from her surprise win via roll up essentially and also telling the Death Riders to fuck off Statlander is ready to be the top person in the division all she needs is a definitive win over the top women in AEW and that is former champion Toni Storm. Toni is great and is becoming the joker or something I dunno but I feel the division benefits from the title off of her, she’s so much more over than 99% of women on the roster that losing here again would not only help to elevate Statlander to the next level. That submission has got to go but good win for Statlander as I said it was needed. Good fun match now we need to see who the next challenger is. 

Mercedes Mone TBS Title Open Challenge
10 belts I think 2 of them not actual titles yeah sure just add this randomly on a Friday night on a CMLL card when I’m asleep. I was confused this is for any champion worldwide so is it title for title? I dunno maybe that’s something that gets highlighted or shown as the match begins. I’ve always found it odd that Mercedes has never won a Stardom belt and I imagine closest would be Starlight Kid and the Wonder of Stardom Championship because she ain’t beating Saya. Look it is the Inoki tribute show it makes sense to have more Japanese wrestlers in it. Ok so the Twitter account confirmed its title for title I’m not on Twitter so you know thanks for telling me. Ok, so the the interim title is a real title damn Red Velvet you ain't getting shit ever and that shit is now just gonna be a real title yeah sure whatever. Mone vs. Statlander is gonna be an interesting one. 

AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: Brodido (Bandido & Brody King) (c) vs. AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada & IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita
First of all what a match ZSJ and Takeshita had for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. A match of the year contender and with Takeshita winning it makes this feud with Okada even more interesting. I wondered how you have Okada and Takeshita lose this one and I dunno they’re too powerful individually but the undoing should come from their hatred of each other. Guy like me they both run the Continental Classic unbeaten and the final is title for title winner take all. Brodido have been a fun tag team I imagine their chemistry is helped by Bandido and Brody’s friendship but still it’s a good ride, combined with Priest and Dynamite as well does being director of football for a football team give you special powers to see who’d work as a team? I mean Tony also put The Acclaimed together so it could’ve very well. This should be fun providing Okada has his working boots on apart from the I quit match this is the show I’m most interested in the finish and what it will lead to. Man 2 months in a row Okada came to work what a match. Man Okada accidentally hitting Takeshita and then laughing what a guy he is. Man this show has had great tag team matches.  

AEW World Championship Match: ‘Hangman’ Adam Page (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Slapdash? Yes. Cobbled together? Yeah. Am I going to enjoy it? For sure. Look, I like both men a lot and there’s a case to make for Joe being my G.O.A.T (I mean he’s top 5 it’s still Kurt Angle) and Hangman is best in the world category so why am I not feeling this. I just think it’s rushed and shows there’s no top heels that can drop a fall currently. We’ve done MJF and we’ve done Kyle and Okada & Takeshita are wrapped up in their story so there’s nobody. Wrestling, will miss Joe a guy you can heat up in a week and it’s just ok but he’s a badass a believable. I dunno if he’ll still be Trios champion going into this (I hope not time to change those titles) but still just a little lower on this match then you’d expect, I’m sure it’ll be good when the bell rings. I really enjoyed this match it was fun but the shock heel turn for The Opps post match got me I was surprised it happened. Wonder what the direction here is, it's unexpected and that rules let's go. 

“I Quit” Match: Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley
So someone has to die in this right? The escalating violence since Darby’s return means this can’t end normally right. Give that security guy who pounced Darby a contract with AEW now that’s a worker. It’s a weird one, I’m looking forward to this but at the same time just have the feeling this ends with some recorded earlier in the day backstage thing where I dunno Darby gets blown up. Now that sounds cool but you are just waiting for the escalating violence to pick up in this. Nobody is winning in 5 you know? I dunno am I in a mood this Tuesday morning? That was weird and good like I dunno what to think just wow some weird ass shit. Did think the finish would be more but it's good to see old man Sting.

Man, this show overdelivered in spades and honestly should be in the top lot of AEW PPVs. Great matches, great angles and a lot of chew on going forward. Fun stuff will be rewatching a lot of this show over the next week when I've had more sleep.