AEW Dynamite Results, Recap: May 21, 2025 — Anarchy Erupts, MJF Joins The Hurt Syndicate, Owen Hart Cup Finalists Come Face to Face
- All Elite Wrestling
- May 21
- 11 min read
AEW Dynamite came to you from the Rio Rancho Events Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on TBS and MAX!
Here’s everything that went down on a thrilling episode of Dynamite, including your full AEW Dynamite results and recap.
Hangman and Ospreay Face to Face
We kicked off Wednesday night with the men’s finalists from the Owen Hart Cup tournament, Will Ospreay and Hangman Adam Page. With security around the ring, Ospreay made it clear that he didn’t plan to get physical, to which Page agreed. So, the Aerial Assassin sent the extra security to the back.
Ospreay then asked Hangman if he still drinks. Not in a bad way, of course – it’s just that Ospreay had a couple of brews for himself and Hanger. With that out of the way, Ospreay made his vision clear: He was out here to petition Tony Khan to make Ospreay vs. Hangman the main event of Double or Nothing, even knowing that meant that they’d have to follow the bedlam that is Anarchy in the Arena.
As Ospreay sees it, what’s on the line on Sunday is more than even the Owen Hart Cup trophy and a shot at the AEW World Title. It comes with the responsibility of bringing back that beautiful gold belt from Jon Moxley’s possession. Ospreay said he’s done everything right. He lives and breathes AEW. He flies seven to 15 hours every week to be here. And he wants nothing more than to bring that championship home. He wants to wear that belt in London at Forbidden Door. And he wants nothing more than to walk into that building in August and have his little son, who he leaves every week, look up at him as AEW Champion.
Ospreay knows how much Hangman wants this. He just wants it a little bit more.
Indeed, Hangman agreed. That’s the difference between the two of them, he said. He knows that feeling, because he has lived it. For Will, this would be a professional accomplishment – the biggest that either of them could ever dream of having. But it is just that for Ospreay: a professional accomplishment.
But for Hanger, this is personal. He doesn’t want this opportunity; he needs it, Hangman said, with his voice cracking. He has wasted two years of his life, filled with nothing but grief and sorrow and hate. In two years, he has not won a single tournament or a single championship. And the worst of it was the times he was at home, like Christmas morning, when Page’s son was on the floor playing with his toys and look up to see Hangman staring out the window, leaving the young boy to realize that the man he knew as his father was never truly coming back.
Hangman NEEDS this. He needs this for all of the people who believed in him when he didn’t deserve it. And he needs it for himself, because he needs to know that there can be some kind of light at the end of this two-year tunnel through hell.
So, Ospreay wondered, what is Hangman going to do about it? Is he going to wrap a steel chair around Ospreay’s head? Is he going to retire him, like Hangman did to Christopher Daniels? Because Ospreay isn’t having that. He’s showing up on Sunday and giving it his best. Sometimes, that hasn’t worked. But Ospreay hasn’t cut corners. He hasn’t cheated in the ring. If he has lost, he has lost leaving everything he had in the ring – while winning people’s respect. And more importantly, he won their trust.
Hangman shot back – Does Ospreay think that’s enough to go up against the Death Riders? And Ospreay admitted he doesn’t know. But Hangman does. So Ospreay asked that Page bring that fire on Sunday and show him what it takes. He gets why Hangman has been different. He gets why he’s been focused elsewhere. But it’s been a year. An entire year has changed Hangman. Kids don’t look up to him anymore. The boys backstage have lost respect for him.
So Ospreay is going to bring his best. And his best has been enough to beat Bryan Danielson, and Chris Jericho, and countless others — because Ospreay, in his own words, is the best in the ****ing world. When that bell rings, anything can happen. And he wants to look Hangman in his eye and tell him that if he wins, he is happy for Page. And if it is him, it’s going to take more than one person to bring that belt back. So if Page needs a friend, Ospreay is there. And he hopes that if it goes the other way, Hangman feels the same.
All Star Trios Tag: Jon Moxley & the Young Bucks vs. Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Swerve Strickland
It’s time for a brouhaha! Samoa Joe and Jon Moxley started things off, hammering each other smack dab in the middle of the ring. Each then went to the corner, where Powerhouse Hobbs and Matthew Jackson tagged in, as Hobbs laid it in against Jackson. Swerve and Nicholas Jackson then got in on the action, with Jackson falling prey to a massive suplex from Swerve.
As the action spilled out of the ring, Moxley and the Bucks seized the advantage, with Matthew and Nicholas delivering a superkick party right on the chin of Joe. He shook it off after a few moments, however, and took out all three opponents with a dive to the outside.
Back in the ring, the Bucks and Mox went to work on the injured left knee of Powerhouse Hobbs. It probably would have been a good idea to keep at that strategy. Instead, though, Nicholas Jackson woke Hobbs up by hitting him with repeated open-hand slaps, giving Hobbs a chance to make the tag to Swerve. The former AEW World Champion momentarily had the upper-hand, but when he and Nicholas went to the outside, the Bucks and Mox were able to turn the tables.
Mox took out Joe and Hobbs on the apron, allowing the Bucks and Mox to triple-team Swerve in the corner. Risky Business from the Bucks got a near-fall with a two-count on Swerve. Mox continued to control Swerve with a cinched-in full Nelson. Swerve escaped and leveled Mox with a headbutt to finally make the tag to Joe, who came in with fists and feet flying.
The Opps and Swerve capitalized on the shift in momentum, culminating in a rare frog splash off the top from Hobbs. Mox took Joe out with a Paradigm Shift, but Swerve immediately countered with a stomp to the back of Mox’s head, then stomps for the Bucks for good measure. Joe sent Mox to the outside, but the Bucks recovered to take out Joe with another superkick party. The Bucks then attempted to hit the EVP Trigger on Swerve, but he ducked out of the way and scored a roll-up for the three count and the win.
After the bell, however, the Death Riders made their presence felt, only to be neutralized by a returning Shibata. The Trios champion went to exact his revenge on Claudio Castagnoli, but he was taken out by a low-blow by Marina Shafir. That brought out Willow Nightingale to pounce Shafir into the next town.
Kenny Omega’s music then hit, as he took out Wheeler Yuta, Claudio and Matthew Jackson with snap-dragon suplexes. The Opps and Nightingale set up a table for Omega to send Jackson crashing through with a One-Winged Angel, but Castagnoli saved Jackson.
But Joe & Co. weren’t done. The former AEW World Champion said that he knows he has the Death Riders and the Elite right where he wants them, but he’s not going to wait until Sunday. He and his allies will be hunting all night long.
Crossing the t’s and Dotting the i’s
We then joined The Hurt Syndicate and their legal representation, who were asked how excited they were to have MJF join the group. As MVP said, though, a more apt question would be how excited MJF is to join the group. On that note, Max and his legal representation, Mark Sterling, entered the room, as The Hurt Syndicate went to get something to eat and let the lawyers do their thing.
MJF’s Official Contract Signing to Join The Hurt Syndicate
Celebration is in the air! First, The Hurt Syndicate made their way to the ring, followed shortly by MJF in a brand-new golden suit. Max’s mom used to tell him the most important day of his life was when he’d marry the love of his life. But MJF retorted that she must have never joined The Hurt Syndicate!
After a bit of interaction with the crowd by MJF and MVP (suffice it to say, neither is a big fan of New Mexico or its lack of sports teams), Mark Sterling laid out how this would go. First, MJF would sign the contract, then MVP, then Shelton Benjamin, then Bobby Lashley. MJF, MVP and Benjamin each signed in due time, but Lashley then hesitated. After appearing to have a brief word with The Hurt Syndicate’s attorney, Lashley signed, and MJF went to put on a Hurt Syndicate hat.
But we had an interruption! Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes, who will face Benjamin and Lashley for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Double or Nothing this Sunday, came out, with Rhodes telling Max to shut his mouth. Rhodes hates MJF’s guts, and he needed Max to know that right now. Dustin and MVP go way back, Rhodes said. And he has the utmost respect for MVP. But he needed to warn MVP that he needs to watch out for the snake that is MVP. And the Sons of Texas want more gold. They have earned their tag team title match. Rhodes knows they like to hurt people. And he dares Lashley and Benjamin to jump on him and hurt him. There’s nothing they can do that bigger and frankly better monsters have already done. Sunday won’t be a walk in the park for The Hurt Syndicate. Rhodes and Guevara fight with fire, and passion, and heart, and soul. They’ll see The Hurt Syndicate on Sunday in Phoenix.
Okada Challenges Speedball at Double or Nothing
Last week, Speedball Mike Bailey called out AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. This week, Okada made it clear that Speedball doesn’t get to call him out – it’s Okada who does the calling out. And on Sunday, Okada is ready to see Speedball in the ring at Double or Nothing.
Anthony Bowens vs. Ricochet
Who is the true Scissor King of AEW?! We were about to find out.
Bowens got the upper-hand early, rocking Ricochet around the ring with hammer blows and open-hand slaps. But all it took was Ricochet ramming Bowens into the ring post from the apron for the Bald One to take control – until Bowens was able to duck under a kick from Ricochet and rebound off the ropes for a big Fame-Asser. With both men having taken their fair share of damage, they squared off in the middle of the ring, exchanging blow after blow, with Bowens eventually scoring a two-count.
Ricochet lined Bowens up for a Spirit Gun, but the 5-Tool Player ducked and countered with The Arrival. He followed up with the Mollywhop, but Ricochet rolled out of the ring and sneakily grabbed his golden scissors, jamming them into Bowens’ forehead, which gave Ricochet the win.
Ricochet mocked Bowens on his way back up the ring, but he wasn’t about to get away with it. Mark Briscoe, who will face Ricochet in a Stretcher Match Sunday at Double or Nothing, cut Ricochet off with a stretcher in tow. He got Ricochet onto the stretcher and climbed the turnbuckle, but Ricochet escaped at the last second before Briscoe could come crashing off the top.
Jamie Hayter and Mercedes Moné Come Face to Face
Renee Paquette was in the ring to mediate this meeting of the two Owen Hart Cup Tournament women’s finalists. And she started with a simple question: Is Hayter the underdog?
If so, the former AEW Women’s World Champion said, then so be it. She doesn’t walk around here acting like she’s the best thing since sliced bread. This means more to her than it does to Mercedes, Hayter said. It’s not about a title shot anymore, not to her. This is about not being forgotten. This is about her proving that she’s good enough. That she was right to come back. That people still care. Because this is what she does: She laces up her boots and hits hard. That’s who she is.
So, Renee wondered, does all that worry Mercedes?
“Do you know who the hell I am?” Moné replied. Hayter might think she has Mercedes all figured out, but she doesn’t know who she’s messing with. She’s not looking past Hayter; she’s looking through her like a glass doll. Mercedes gets what she wants in her reality. And her reality is that she’s going to win Sunday in Phoenix and head to All In to win the AEW Women’s World Championship. She’s 25-0 in singles competition in AEW. She didn’t get there by luck. She got there with hard work and dedication. And at Double or Nothing, she’s going to call Hayter why she calls herself the CEO. Double or Nothing won’t be where Hayter’s story begins. It’s where this chapter ends.
Mercedes can talk about destiny all she wants. Hayter watched her lose the NJPW Strong Women’s Title. And Hayter says that’s Mercedes’ destiny: Losing. That made Moné snap, as she put her hands on Hayter. And that ended poorly for the TBS Champion, who decked Mercedes right before “Timeless” Toni Storm came out to the commentary desk for Julia Hart vs. Mina Shirakawa.
Julia Hart vs. Mina Shirakawa
Collar-and-elbow tie up to kick this one off, followed by both women trying to run the other off the ropes into a series of counters. Hart gained wrist control and went to walk the top rope, only for Shirakawa to send her tumbling to the mat. Shirakawa then showed the younger wrestler how it’s done, going to the top herself and planting a knee right into Hart’s chest.
Shirakawa then made her way to the commentary desk and gestured toward her waist in Storm’s direction, making it clear that the AEW Women’s World Championship is on her mind. That gave Hart a window to ambush Shirakawa, rolling her back into the ring, mounting her and slamming her skull into the canvas.
After a near-fall, Hart locked in a reverse chin-lock on Shirakawa, landing a jawbreaker when she attempted to counter. A kick to the gut by Shirakawa stopped Hart in her tracks, followed by a rolling elbow and a huge clothesline. A spinning back fist left Hart vulnerable to a crucifix bomb by Shirakawa, but Hart kicked out at two. Hart countered a Glorious Driver but missed on her swan dive moonsault. Shirakawa immediately attacked Hart’s knee and went for an in-step figure four, but Hart rolled Shirakawa up for a two-count. Hart managed to fend off another Glorious Driver and roll Shirakawa up for another two-count, but Shirakawa reversed the roll-up into a crucifix pin of her own for the win.
Following the bell, Hart took out her frustrations over the loss on Shirakawa and was joined by her protege, Skye Blue. But Timeless Toni Storm ran off the two women, saving her AEW Double or Nothing opponent from further violence. Shirakawa didn’t seem particularly grateful, though, as after a brief tug of war over the AEW Women’s World Championship, the challenger tied Storm up in a figure-four around the ring post.
ANARCHY!
As Dynamite wrapped up, Renee Paquette caught up with the Young Bucks as they looked to leave the arena. Matthew Jackson pointed out that Samoa Joe and his crew hadn’t caught up with them, which must make Joe a pathological liar. Just seconds later, Joe came through a nearby curtain wielding a trash can, as he, the Opps, Kenny Omega and Willow Nightingale dismantled the Bucks and the Death Riders – until Gabe Kidd emerged from the crowd, smashing Samoa Joe with the briefcase. The Bucks set Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland up on tables outside the ring then splashed down on both as Dynamite came to a close.
Really, though, that was just the start! Anarchy in the Arena will be LIVE this Sunday from Glendale, AZ, as AEW Double or Nothing comes to you on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT!
