AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage Preview – AEW World Champ MJF vs. Bandido, Kenny Omega Returns, More

AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage is LIVE at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on TBS and streaming on HBO Max tonight from Phoenix, Arizona, and the richest prize in the game will be on the line!

AEW World Champion MJF will make the first defense of his second reign as champion against the ROH World Champion and winner of the 2025 Dynamite Diamond Ring, Bandido. Meanwhile, Kenny Omega has made it clear that he wants to be the AEW World Champion again, and tonight, he makes his return in Phoenix at Maximum Carnage!

Triangle of Madness will bring their toxicity to a trio of champions when Thekla, Skye Blue and Julia Hart take on AEW Women's World Champion Kris Statlander and the AEW Women's Tag Team Champions, The Babes of Wrath, TBS Champion Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron!

Plus, a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championships will be up for grabs in a 4-Way Tag Match between the Young Bucks, GOA, JetSpeed and the Don Callis Family’s Mark Davis and Jake Doyle. And Darby Allin gets his rematch with PAC in an effort to complete his goal of defeating all the Death Riders!

All that and more will go down tonight in Phoenix! Here’s your complete AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage preview for January 14, 2026.

AEW Dynamite Matches, Preview for Wednesday, January 14

AEW World Champion: MJF (c) vs. ROH World Champion and 2025 Dynamite Diamond Ring Winner Bandido

At Maximum Carnage, the verbal jabs end, and the AEW World Championship is on the line! 

MJF began his second reign as AEW World Champion at AEW Worlds End just over two weeks ago when he won a 4-Way over then-champ Samoa Joe, “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland. Bandido earned this match by being of the final two in the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal, alongside AEW National Champion Ricochet, then beating Ricochet one-on-one to claim the Dynamite Diamond Ring and this AEW World Championship opportunity. 

MJF won the previous six Dynamite Diamond Rings and tried to embarrass Bandido last week, but it was the ROH World Champ who stood tall with his hands on the AEW World Title.

Can Bandido make history and leave Phoenix as both AEW and ROH World Champion? Or does MJF begin his second reign with a victory against the first of a hungry group of challengers? The AEW World Title is on the line tonight!

Kenny Omega Returns!

It’s been over four years since Kenny Omega last held the AEW World Championship, which is why he sent a message to MJF two weeks ago that he’s hunting for a rematch. Omega says both he and MJF are far different from who they were when MJF successfully defended the AEW World Title against Omega on AEW Collision in October 2023. What will happen when Omega returns at Maximum Carnage?

Trios Match: AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander & AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Babes of Wrath (TBS Champion Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron) vs. Triangle of Madness (Thekla, Skye Blue and Julia Hart)

Friendship can be a beautiful thing. Just ask Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale, who reunited after Nightingale beat Mercedes Moné for the TBS Title at New Year’s Smash. Triangle of Madness were disgusted by such a display and continue to question just who Statlander is as the AEW Women’s World Champion.

Thekla called out the champions for a fight, and tonight, the toxicity comes to Maximum Carnage as The Cosmic Babes of Wrath come together to face Triangle of Madness in a Trios Match dripping in gold!

4-Way Tag Match for Future AEW World Tag Team Title Shot vs. FTR: Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. GOA (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona vs. JetSpeed (”Speedball” Mike Bailey and “The Jet” Kevin Knight) vs. The Don Callis Family’s Mark Davis & Jake Doyle

FTR haven’t been shy about wanting more competition for their AEW World Tag Team Titles, so tonight, they’ll start to get their wish. Four teams will battle it out for a future shot at FTR and the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but this match goes beyond the gold.

Last week, we learned that Jake Doyle collected a bounty on JetSpeed and became the newest member of the Don Callis Family, forming a formidable duo with another behemoth, Mark Davis. The Young Bucks subsequently stepped in to replace JetSpeed as “Jungle” Jack Perry’s tag team partners and were victorious over The Demand. However, the hostilities continued after the match and even bled into Collision, where a massive brawl erupted following The Demand’s victory against Anthony Bowens and JetSpeed.

Tonight, a chance at the AEW World Tag Team Championship hangs in the balance. Will these teams be able to keep their focus on this huge opportunity, or will preexisting issues take precedence?

Darby Allin vs. PAC

Darby Allin has designs on becoming AEW World Champion for the first time in 2026, but first, he wants to finish his war with the Death Riders. To do that, he needs to beat PAC. Allin wasn’t able to do that at AEW Full Gear, but since then, he’s been able to beat both Gabe Kidd and Wheeler Yuta. And last week, Allin threatened to break PAC’s ankle by smashing it in a door unless PAC agreed to a rematch!

Tonight, Allin gets his chance to complete a goal and end a war that started nearly 18 months ago. However, PAC warned Allin that whatever happened tonight, it was on him. Will The Bastard put down Darby again? Or will Allin exorcise his demons and be able to turn his focus toward the AEW World Championship?

How to Watch AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage

• Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026

• Start Time: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT

• Location: Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, Arizona

• TV: TBS

• Streaming: HBO Max