[10.0] "Since I can't rate the match, Darby vs MJF was a supreme piece of business and probably the best thing in American wrestling to happen all year. The entire presentation was unreal and despite being conditioned to believe that Darby must be winning, I truly did not believe it until the 3 count happened. AEW squash match main events kick ass."

[10.0] "In short, this event earns a 10 thanks to Darby's crowning main event. Even though he won with a two-minute squash, it's ultimately the culmination of a wrestler who has given his all in the ring week after week since AEW's inception in 2019. Darby was there with his crazy spots, and his finally becoming world champion makes this Dynamite show a 10."

[7.0] "An okay episode of TV with a very happy ending. Not how I would've booked Darby to win, but I won't complain about getting the wrong flavor of ice cream."

[8.0] "A really good episode of Dynamite, fresh off the heels of a PPV. Really loved the throughline of Darby's chase for the world title. Some good promos here and there. The Jericho segment was not good, but it's fine. A mix of good/solid matches that leads to such an incredible moment. Just the kind of TV wrestling that one wants out of their weekly shows"

[10.0] "Perfectly built episode throughout. Everything was leading up to the main event, and the result at the end was unexpected and so overwhelming. Darby Allin is gonna have the best run with this championship."

[8.0] "Although the undercard was ok, the main event and set up for it was phenomenal. And for those who say MJF shouldn't be squashed, I agree on one hand, but consider that this is his character. A piece of shit who we all love to see fail and get humiliated. He'll get his hands on the title again eventually, but wow. Darby Allin actually won the world title! I'm happy for him man, he deserves it!"

[9.0] "Hell of a great show. Everything with Darby, from the opening promo to the stuff backstage and Sting showing up to the blitz of a match itself, was basically perfect. Some good undercard matches as well, don't love the ongoing Ospreay angle but other than that this was an awesome one."

[10.0] "This will (very) arguably go down as an all timer. The storytelling was palpable and dense the entire way through. The show STARTS with a segment that instantly hypes the show to a grand level, teasing the unexpected (for MJF) title defense not literally just a few minutes into the show. Unfortunately, but naturally, it doesn't happen right then and right there. Good Ol' BD says TK moved it to the main event. Well, in between then and the match, we get great wrestling from Ospreay, Hech, Claudio, and our new TNT champion, Kevin Knight. Very consistent guys although the Kevin Knight match had a very noticeable botch, outside of that, great work. The other 2 matches are mediocre, but what episode of weekly wrestling doesn't have mediocre matches? Darby's promo talking about his title shot during the beginning of the show is genuinely the greatest promo I've ever heard him give and either he's just suddenly that good or those tears were real. I'm inclined to believe, it's both. Later on in the night, we see Sting give Darby encouraging words. That was the point that my friends were clued in on Darby winning. If I were not accidentally spoiled in the middle of the episode, I would not have thought Darby would win until I heard the bell ending the match. TK definitely knows how to tell a story and make people feel things, this is a PRIME and fantastic example of that, and it should be celebrated regardless of if you think it's the right decision. I personally do not, but TK seems to know what hes doing most of the time."

[8.0] "This was a great show! Obviously it hyper focused the build to Darby winning the world title was fantastic they told an excellent story here it was slightly predictable just because of Tony announcing this main event after dynasty but who cares! I loved it this is something the fans of AEW and pro wrestling had been waiting for the fact that MJF didn't know until the night of was gold the segment leading up to this match and the reference to the headlock takeover was great and HE DID IT! Darby Allin the underdog story was done perfectly"

[10.0] "The build-up to Darby winning the title is one of the coolest things I've seen on wrestling TV in a minute. By the end of the show, I was fully locked in on seeing Darby win the big one. It was a beautiful episode of TV."

[6.0] "Oddly enough this is one of the best AEW Dynamite episodes in ages and it has next to nothing to do with the actual wrestling itself. We get two matches that were solid but should've cooked way more than they did. We got an overindulgent bloated story match where the CMLL Heavyweight Champion struggles to put away a broken Will Ospreay. There's an absolute disaster of a women's match on here and the big title match that everyone's been clamoring for years to see is a glorified squash match. That being said this was some of the best production Dynamite has ever head. It's like they finally had a production meeting and planned everything out. The show opens with one of the hottest segments ever, it felt like Attitude Era WWF, this "oh shit this is happening" feeling that is so hard to capture. Darby Allin cuts one of the best promos of his career. Everyone's entrances look amazing, shot perfectly and planned out like they should be. FTR's promo was brilliantly funny and nasty but with the excitement of not knowing who's gonna step up to them next. Everyone's gunning for the World Title at the moment with Tommaso Ciampa and Kevin Knight calling their shots. Jon Moxley has a great promo that genuinely made me interested in his match on Collision with Nick Wayne. Finally despite my thoughts on the match itself and the booking leading up to this moment, having Darby Allin win the big one on a random post PPV Dynamite is one of the most genuinely surprising moments in wrestling in what feels like ages (wish it was spoiled for me). If Dynamite can continue being this meticulous with what goes on the show outside of the ring and then continue to give us at least one great match a show, then the argument for where the best programming is goes out the window"

"[9.0] One of the best Dynamite in terms of storytelling. Darby winning the title was a great moment and him squashing MJF makes sense (A real match would have been cool but how it went down make perfect sense). Some people here don't understand basic storytelling, Darby will probably hold it until DoN and lose it back to MJF which is fine as Darby is not the type of wrestler who has long reigns. I doubt he will ever win it again after this so a nice short reign is cool and mixes up the main event scene for a short time."

"This was sort of an unusual Dynamite. The show opened really strong I thought everyone did their part pretty well with the MJF/Darby Allin segment, setting the stage for the main event. There were some good matches as well, Kevin Knight demonstrated a lot of athleticism. Ricochet/Jericho segment was fine, also FTR promo was good. The Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay segment was memorable also, they were reflecting on their losses at Dynasty and what it means for future. It had a sense like Kenny Omega was sort of passing the torch to Will Ospreay but not quite yet, like Omega still has some wrestling left in him. Thekla was charismatic in her promo. Then the main event, Sting's appearance prior to it where he motivated Darby it was nice. The match itself was very short, I think it would have been better if there was more of a struggle or offense giving by MJF. I am just used to very long epic battles for the World Title matches, then this throws a complete swerve in this. But I think it still would have been better if the match had some more content to it."

[10.0] "Like last year, Spring Break Tru will likely be the Dynamite episode of the year. It was an incredibly emotional episode, with Darby Allin obviously the star of the show, with a fantastic opening segment that got the episode off to a great start, followed by another masterclass segment between Omega and Ospreay. The rest of the show featured some good matches, as always, with Ospreay's match being the best of the night, at least until the main event. The segment between Darby and Sting was truly moving for those of us who have followed AEW since day one, and it was the beginning of the miracle that followed. Darby Allin's world title win is one of the best moments in AEW history, and coming out that way was even more epic, given the history with MJF that has been going on practically since before AEW was even founded. Wrestling should provide EMOTIONS, and Darby Allin's story has been one of the most emotional in AEW history. 10."

"Overall, it was a good weekly show. I really like how Tony Khan has been opening the shows lately, because it's not the typical linear start, but rather an abrupt one that makes you eager for the Main Event to arrive. From a wrestling standpoint, it was also a good show, although the ending didn't quite convince me. I've been very happy with AEW over the past few months, but I don't fully understand MJF losing in this way. I don't get why you would undermine the strong and believable build you were creating for Max like that. I'm happy for Darby--he deserves it more than anyone--but what I don't like is the way it was done. At Double or Nothing or even on a weekly show under different circumstances, I'd buy it, but not like this."

[9.0] "Easy 10/10 just for Darby Allin finally winning the title! No one deserves it more. That opening segment was fire and set up the main event perfectly."

[6.0] "I don't remember a Dynamite show ever being so WWE-esque. I think the night started off great with that segment where MJF had no idea he was scheduled to wrestle Darby Allin. When we all thought it was going to be the opening match and we were in for a great fight, MJF refused to wrestle, and Darby Allin gave a speech about the sacrifices he'd made over the years, and you could tell he was emotional. The match was postponed until the main event, and we were all excited. Then we saw Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega in a segment that I found sad because of Kenny Omega's exhausted body and defeated demeanor. I think they played on that feeling, and they did it well. From there, the show was shaping up to be a 10. Ciampa dominated Dezmond Xavier and demanded a shot at the main title. Sorcerer and Will Ospreay had a match where Ospreay's neck was a bit too exposed, and I hope it doesn't become a deal-breaker in their matches. Kevin Knight and Castagnoli used their basic moves, and Kamille and Willow, well, I don't think it was a disaster either. The matches, not being the best they could have been, lowered the overall quality of the show. However, Theckla turned up the heat with Alex Windsor, and Jericho was humiliated again by Ricochet and his friends after they mocked his baldness. We arrived at the moment we were all waiting for, what we imagined would be a super match, no matter what happened, whoever won, we were going to leave happy. But no, 4 Coffin Drops and MJF is defeated. WHY? What's the reason for doing this? Is there an injury? Is there something we don't know about that led to this? No way, it completely ruined the show for me. How can they give Darby Allin his first world title like that, as if he were Goldberg? I don't know why they did this. This adds to the list of strange decisions AEW makes, like Samoa Joe winning the AEW Championship or Hangman Page being barred from challenging for it again. It's a bit much to say, "Okay, fine, but AEW will sort it out." For now, I'm just saying, "We'll see.""

[7.0] "Damn solid episode of Dynamite. Pretty good opening segment between MJF and Darby that honestly got Darby a bit more over with me. As well as a really nice backstage segment between Ospreay and Omega that really hit the feels. A good Will Ospreay match in there too. I like how almost everyone on this show was putting over the AEW world championship, it just built up that main event and made it seem bigger and bigger. Especially considering the fact I wasn't feeling too enthusiastic about it, but by the time we got to the main event, I was hyped for it. Then we actually got to the match and I gotta say, critiquing it as a match itself is kinda pointless. It's a moment meant for those in the audience chanting Darby's name, and many around the world who I'm sure felt the same way. I do personally wish there was a bit more of an actual match to it though? I feel like there could've been more drama and more emotion put into the actual match itself but I mean that's just the kind of wrestling I personally enjoy. I'm not complaining too much. Every world title needs a Mick Foley."

[10.0] "[10.0] NowTHIS was one hell of a post PPV episode! Far far far better than the one we got after Revolution. The Ciampa/Desmond match was good, the Claudio/Knight match was great, and the Ospreay/Hechicero match was flat out amazing! The opening segment with MJF arriving to the arena was such a fantastic way to strat everything off and the emotional MJF/Darby promo was A+. I am getting the feeling the Coach TK is getting some grove in how his producers are laying out the shows promo segments down to equal the quality of their matches. I am sooooOOOOOO excited to see where we go from here to Dynamite!"

[6.0] "I no longer usually watch weekly shows, but when they announced the world title match, I had to watch this show. In the end, even though the show was quite weak overall, seeing Darby with the title made the night worthwhile for me (even though I don't like squash), in terms of segments nothing pleased me and the only interesting thing about the show was Ospreay vs. Hechicero [****]. Final score: 6/10."

[5.0] "Very conflicted on this episode. I thought everything up until the TBS title match was very good. There wasn't one match I didn't enjoy and I liked all promos too. After that...it just fell apart. Kamille is terrible and should not be in this position. Darby is a wrestler I just can't get into, so seeing him squash MJF who's on a run of a lifetime just did not sit well with me at all. I doubt he even gets a long reign with it so it feels pretty useless imo. I obviously understand why several people liked this though. I'm very neutral on this episode."

[8.0] "A very fun episode, we had a major AEW World Title change as Darby Allin, a man who has been with the company for seven years, had his big time moment as he is the new AEW World Champion squashing MJF in the process, the rest of the show was highly entetraining as in total we had three title matches, and two fun matches. I think AEW is shifting into a new gear, but they have been fun to watch since the start of 2025."

[8.0] "A complex episode to comment on. Let's start from the end, which is actually also the beginning of the show: a title change basically done on the mic. If they had to change the title, maybe this was the right way let me explain: MJF just went toe-to-toe with Kenny, so a serious match between Darby and MJF wouldn't have made much sense. What I don't understand is why they didn't just do the match at Dynasty it would have been much better and we would've gotten a real match. I'm not a huge Darby fan, but hopefully we'll see a good title reign; I admit that sooner or later it was worth trying to give him a major title. Overall, it was pretty solid, except for the TBS title match where Kamille gets a title shot she doesn't deserve and unfortunately shows all her limitations. Kamille isn't that great, but to be fair AEW's booking hasn't been great either. She might need a tag run, but I don't know I'm afraid her time in AEW might be running out. The other matches were good, but nothing particularly noteworthy."

[6.0] "AEW Dynamite episode 341 - Spring BreakThru 2026 - Tag 1 was an average to solid show.Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dezmond Xavier (5/10), Kevin Knight (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (6/10), Will Ospreay vs. Hechicero (w/Lance Archer) (7/10), Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Kamille (3/10), Darby Allin vs. MJF (c) (5/10)"

[2.0] "I'm genuinely confounded by this direction. Let me get this straight, you have a guy in Darby Allin, who over his career has proven that he'll never give up, he's willing to die, and he'll do whatever it takes, and then he finally wins the belt, and it's in a SMASH MATCH? I simply don't understand what we're doing. I can't even bring my thoughts to words. Anyways, besides the main event, the rest of the show was subpar as well. Ciampa and Xavier lacked any in-ring chemistry, and then we have both Ciampa and Knight calling for the world title? The only decent match was Ospreay vs Hechicero. Not a good night for the AEW brand."

[10.0] "I returned to watching aew after I heard my favorite current wrestler beat mjf for the title. Went to recap some of the storylines that I missed and Ive been very interested with what ive missed. The main event scene looks lively after a boring reign from hangman and the moxley reign of doom. i loved this episode after months of not watching any wrestling. I am very moved with the omega and Ospreay backstage segment and im very excited to see what transpires cause seeds were planted. Ciampa had a nice match with dezmond fka Wes lee and im interested in how theyre pushing Kevin knight. After he signed i thought he was going to be just a name in the roster but from what ive seen, he is extremely charismatic and athletic so the future is bright. My bias for darby aside, i really liked how the booking of the title change made so much sense. Very nice moment for Darby and im excited to see how his reign goes into all in."

[10.0] "There are very rare pieces of art, which includes wrestling shows, where one part transcends the rest for better or worse. This is one of them.10/10, and either you get it or you don't I guess. MJF proved that he's a generational talent, and Darby was rewarded for his hard work and skill."

"Darby winning the championship was a great moment, but I feel like if they had a real match the moment would've been 10x better."

[6.0] "This was one of the most boring Dynamites in recent history, I had zero interest in any of these matchups and they seem thrown together randomly. In regards to the title change I personally think having an actual match would have been better call. Odd fumble after months of amazing AEW television."

[9.0] "Excellent show with two outstanding promos and a solid variety of enjoyable matches. I like the idea of a squash for the world title -- it really highlights AEW's unpredictability, which has been at the very top of American wrestling for the past few months."

[4.0] "Post PPV Dynamites are often strange, but man this one takes the cake. From segments that pushed nothing forward in feuds with FTR & Jericho, a baffling choice of main event booking with their top title with that main event, barely any screen time for the womens division, and a seemingly very limited roster available. Knight vs. Claudio & Ospreay vs Hechicero were solid matches, but there's not much else positive here. Strange booking all over here, Darby as champion is the least interesting that belt has been since Punk was champion"

[10.0] "This felt like a classic Attitude Era episode of wrestling, and I mean that in a good way. Lots of focus on storylines and promos, which isn't always the most popular with internet fans, but I'm sorry to say, that's what draws the most people in. Besides, we also got a lengthy Ospreay match too, so it's not like this week was short on good wrestling. The MJF-Darby stuff was expertly-handled and led to one of the most memorable Dynamite endings ever; a moment that will most likely be shown in highlight packages for years to come. The genuine emotion on Darby's face was touching to see, and you could even hear it in his voice during the opening promo. I also dug the subdued Kenny Omega backstage promo with Ospreay. I'm not the biggest fan of Kenny's promos, but he's actually very effective when he's not acting goofy."

[9.0] "One of the finest episodes of TV wrestling I've ever watched. A structured and self contained story with a stakes, a build and satisfying conclusion. The matches were all great, the promo and backstage work was solid and the finale... a work of art. Thrilled for Darby. MJF should be lauded as one of the best in the game."

[9.0] "This episode was utterly brilliant and for one important reason, I feel. It had a clear beginning, middle and end and a coherent storyline running throughout the show. It was executed to perfection. It was pure fun. Well done, Darby."

[8.0] "One of the best AEW shows of the year. Obviously the main thing coming out of this show is Darby winning the world title. This is a very divisive decision for a number of reasons but i personally am a huge fan of how they did it here, with them teasing the match in the opening angle before moving it to the main event where Darby wins in a match that i think was pretty perfectly executed. People who dont know anything about anything will be mad that this was essentially a squash match but it makes sense given the story going in. MJF is completely unprepared after wrestling nearly 40 minutes against Kenny Omega just 3 days prior and then in the match itself, he tries to cheat which completely backfires allowing Darby to take advantage and win. It's really simple stuff and yet people will still complain as if it wasn't basically perfectly done. Outside of that, there was some other strong stuff here. I really liked the Kevin Knight match here and i think his TNT title run has the potential to be really good. He also states his intentions to go after the world title afterwards as does Tomasso Ciampa earlier in the show. Cool to see some new faces in the world title scene even if i do find it a bit weird that Kevin is already looking ahead to the world title when he literally just won the TNT belt. This show wasnt without it's negatives, like the bad TBS title match and of course the atrociously long and boring Jericho segment but overall, this was one of the strongest shows booking wise that AEW has had all year. MOTN - Darby Allin vs. MJF"

[6.0] "The first half of this was pretty good and I thought we were on our way to a rare good post-PPV Dynamite. Then we got to the last two matches, which were so poor I could go lower. Darby's slurry promo earlier in the night made me wonder if there was something wrong with him. Maybe he usually speaks like that and just reigns it in, but coupled with tears, the short main event, the title change, and the locker room emptying out, I wondered if there was more to it than this just being a shock result for Wrestlemania week. Whatever the case, the result and the match didn't sit right with me. Thankfully the first three matches were pretty good and the main event was made to feel important in the build throughout the episode, but the second half really let this show down."

[9.0] "Yeah a great episode of dynamite with a mixed of solid in ring graps, some excellent storytelling and a great moment to end the show. It started with a great long segment with MJF finding out he has a title match tonight and then a promo battle with Darby who cut a great promo and it is announced that it will main event. We then got a brilliant heart to heart between Ospreay and Omega about how they both need to keep going and will both reach their goals. We then got a solid opener between Ciampa and Xavier with Ciampa winning and cutting a good promo saying he is coming for the world title. We then got a decent in ring segment with FTR talking about how CnC will never get to face them again. We then got Kevin Knights first defence against Claudio in a solid match with Kevin cutting a promo about how he is also coming for the title. We then got a lower point of the episode being the segment between Jericho and Ricochet that fucking dragged on to much for me. We then got a great match between Ospreay and Hechicero with Will getting the win and being attacked by Davis post match. We then got a great promo battle between Thekla and Alex Windsor which had me laughing a lot and set up a world title match for tonight. We then get a backstage segment with Mox talking about Will and then about how he is wrestling Nick Wayne on Collision. We then got a pretty crap match between Willow and Kamille which was just so shit and dull all down to Kamille. We then got a pre match interview with Darby who gets words of advice and motivation from Sting which was cool. Then the match itself was not great to me but the moment itself was great and had a great callback with the headlock takeover. Then we got a great ending with Darby standing tall with the belt. Such a great episode bar the Jericho segment (no surprises there) but yeah a great show."

[10.0] "This dynamite was perfect. I love episodes that evoke all types of reactions because polarity has been long lost in wrestling. The circumstances behind the Darby shock win coincided perfectly here. Loved everything about the opener. MJF arrived to the arena not knowing he was going to wrestle tonight since he went radio silent for 3 days (as evident by his Twitter activity - a true worker), which resulted him in being completely unprepared especially after wrestling a gruelling 40 minute match with Omega. Darby cut what is easily his best promo yet, further re assuring that he has to win it or he never will, but MJF still undermined him and didn't take it seriously. The Omega/Ospreay segment was also incredible and planted the seeds for their potential encounter very effectively. This segment will be the catalyst for both Ospreay and Omega to bring the best out of each other, and it was done so beautifully - my favourite AEW segment of the year thus far. Kevin Knight/Claudio was very good, which resulted in Kevin Knight cutting a very emphatic promo, further cementing himself as a top contender for the top prize despite being champion. Ospreay/Hechicero was a very good TV banger, which had Ospreay selling his neck countless of times; selling the effects of Dynasty. I'm not going to even pin the blame on Willow here, but the TBS match was horrendous. Kamille has been out for nearly a year and half for being terrible, and she's somehow way more terrible than she previously was. I'm praying this is a one and done just to further solidify her "comeback killer" reign because it did seem like it with Shida coming out to the fold after her win. Finally, the main event. Going into this, you knew this decision isn't going to appease everybody, as it's founded to be polarizing. The riskiness of a decision like this is why it's so scarce to have shock title changes anymore. I thought everything here, from the slight build up to the squash, was done perfectly. MJF hits Darby with a lowblow, again belittling him. Darby recovered and hit him with a low blow of his own, which led into a squash match with massive crowd investment. Darby ended up using the same headlock takeover maneuver that MJF used to beat him in Full Gear 2021 and DoN 2023, which resulted in a perfect circle moment for the victory. As a consequence, this only sets MJF to be a far more livid challenger for the belt this time around for DoN at his hometown. his also sets up a perfect comeback story for This dynamite and the ones from February have easily been my favourites ones of the year."

[10.0] "Bar the Willow/Kamille match, this was probably the best executed stand-alone episode of wrestling in terms of storytelling that I can remember seeing. The MJF angle at the beginning, his shock at Darby's win, Darby's imopassioned promo, Sting turning up, MJF losing to a headlock takedown ... just cinema. Very good wrestling alongisde it too."

[10.0] "Thought this was an incredible show, albeit one very different to what AEW usually do. That was one of my favourite segments they've ever started a show with to kick off and going straight into that awesome Kenny/Will segment, teasing that possibly still being the All In main event, was such a great start to the show. Ciampa/Dez was a good match, Knight/Claudio a very good match, Ospreay/Hechicero a great match, that was all very much the type of thing you expect on a strong Dynamite. We also had some more awesome mic work from Thekla who's legit becoming one of the best talkers in the company. Willow/Kamille wasn't great but mostly just told the story of Willow's injury so whatever. Jericho and FTR stuff was inoffensive. But this show was all about the Darby stuff and they did a masterful job of building it up throughout the show, particularly with the appearance of Sting. The actual match being a squash wouldn't necessarily have been my choice but it was effective as hell. There was just loads of great stuff dotted throughout this show while leaving plenty in the tank for future weeks in terms of new feuds and returns. AEW don't do many angles that run through the show but this was a great example of why they should. Darby winning won't be for everyone but it clearly won't be for long and a Foley-esque moment works just fine for me, the guy has absolutely killed himself for the company and has always been presented as a legit threat to the top guys. A pretty perfect post-PPV show with a happy ending just like last years show. 10/10."

[10.0] "I don't really review very much anymore, but hot damn was this a great episode! IMO this is one of the best wrestling episodes I've ever watched! That Darby moment especially was really fantastic, not just that tho all of the matches/segments were just great. Just perfect all around"

[8.0] "It's a great weekly episode where everything happens. The only downside, I think, is obvious and not even worth mentioning I don't want to dwell on it just for the sake of complaining. The matches were good overall, the promos were pretty solid too, and what happened in the episode was very surprising and will clearly leave a mark on the company. Darby Allin as the new champion, what a shock!"

[10.0] "Something AEW very rarely does, the single show storyline and i thought this was the perfect way to do it. Darby emulating Mick Foley in 1999 or Ron Simmons in 1992 with a surprise (ish) World Title win. I don't think the reign will last long, but this memory will last forever."

[9.0] "Sometimes you don't rate a show only about the pace, the quality of the matches, or the segments. The show opens with Darby Allin crying and explaining what his title shot tonight means. Then you get Ospreay and Omega having one of the most emotional and brilliant backstage segment ever in AEW. The shows ends with Darby winning the big one in a very beautiful way with all the babyfaces paying respect. That's just perfect, and that's what this company is all about."

[10.0] "Perfectly produced show. The thread from beginning to end hyping the main event was fantastic. Really enjoyed the clash of styles with Ciampa and Xavier. Knight is a stud and Claudio looked great putting him over. Will and Hechicero delivered on my high expectations. Willow looked good as usual and the main event was perfectly booked imo and sets up an obvious rematch for MJF to go over. What a moment for Darby and one of the best dynamite endings ever that will be remembered a long time."

[10.0] "This was one of the best episodes of AEW Dynamite ever. Let's break down some bright spots Action: Ciampa vs Xavier: Fast-paced. Hard-hitting. High-Flying. This felt like TNA's X-Division meets NXT Black and Gold style, crunched into a 10 minute match. Ciampa looked great coming out of this, but Xavier didn't look bad. Knight vs Claudio: Knight If the last match had the flavor of TNA X-Division meets NXT Black and Gold, this felt more like a good iteration of a WCW US Title or WWF Intercontinental Championship division match. Knight showed incredible spring and burst, Claudio showed a combination of superhuman strength and masterful countermeasures. Ospreay vs Hechicero: Speaking of masterful counters, that was a focus of this match featuring the technical wizard Hechicero, and the underrated technical prowess of Ospreay, which Bryan Danielson did an excellent job of highlighting on commentary, referencing skills Will refined in battles with Zack Sabre Jr. Ospreay's selling has been excellent since his return. When Hechicero hit that headscissors driver and Doc Sampson came into the ring, you could feel Ospreay's pain. Ospreay powered through, but at what cost, as Danielson said. The selling is great, but I hope to see him get to a point where we aren't terrified for him every 5 minutes of every match. We get enough of that from his hero Kenny Omega, these days! I have noticed for a while now that Ospreay is an elite grappler and striker in addition to his flying but it seems like everyone else is catching up. You can see Ospreay getting primed to be at the tippy top of the card for All In come August. Darby vs MJF: A refreshing main event squash! I LOVED IT! Darby is someone who has bumped and sold more than probably anyone in AEW's history, so it was a fun contrast to seem him only dishing it out and not really taking it. If any character deserved to be on the receiving end of that, it's MJF. Characters, Emotion, Stories: Darby delivered one of the best promos ever. His emotion was seeping through. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone more moved to be moving into the top spot of a league than Darby was last night. This was real to him and that made it real to me. Any debate about whether this was the right time or right moment should have been washed away for anyone watching that. Then, AEW follows that up with that amazing and touching Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega segment. Both men were defeated, beaten up, and heartbroken, Emotionally, they were at some of their lowest points in their careers, and Kenny was thinking about ending his. He talked about passing the torch to Ospreay, but Ospreay wasn't ready for that. He told Omega that he still believes in him, he hugged Kenny, kissed him on the head, and told him that he was his hero. Omega seemed touched and surprised. Kenny said that if he is Will's hero, then maybe he can't give up yet. Ciampa setting his sights on the World Championship showed some more evidence of the refreshing vertical mobility of the roster that we have seen in 2026, which was reinforced by Kevin Knight doing the same later in the show. MJF and Don Callis reinforced their status as sleazeballs. Before the main event, having Darby's wrestling dad, Sting, come not to give him advice, but to tell him he believes in him and it is his time now, was so touching. Darby's squash win followed by the babyface roster coming out to celebrate him, including Sting, was the most feel-good ending to any Dynamite ever, which was very refreshing following a heel heavy PPV."

"[100/10] As a long-time AEW viewer, this is the holy bible of the DUB. Everything was beautiful and I couldn't stop pausing my HBO MAX (Which I only watch for AEW) to cry each time with how beautiful this BEAUTIFUL show was. The main event was a ******* 1/3 ³ 5/6 ! Seeing Darby Allin hit MJF with 4 slopdrops and win the title was like Mankind (Slave name) winning the WWFed title (But actually done good! ) Seeing the others celebrate and STING returning with such a feel good, happy moment! This was the greatest moment in pro wrestling history. The FED wishes they could do something is incredible as this! *********************** star show!"

"I'm not a Darby guy, but when a story is well told, I can get on board with stuff like this. I think the thing that does it for me is how thematic it feels. Darby won impulsively. It was a squash. It was rushed. The story told was at the same time break neck paced during the episode, and seven years in the making. Darby stayed true to himself, just like he said. We'll get the real match at DoN probably, and it will probably be great (see the full gear opener they had many years ago). Also the Kenny / Will segment was AWESOME, can't wait to see this guys in the finals of the Owen (or Wembley but that's less likely I think)"

[6.0] "A disappointing opener and a mediocre first TNT title defense to start, followed by a solid Ospreay/Hechicero match that lacked stakes and storytelling to be memorable, before a decent Kamille vs. Nightingale match. Finally, we had this strange main event that left me quite perplexed. I don't think it was scandalous, but I'm not a fan of the decision. Darby's build-up didn't make me want to see him win, and the way he won in just a few minutes didn't seem appropriate. Everyone will have their own opinion, but it's definitely not my cup of tea. Fortunately, the show wasn't all about that, and many interesting things happened outside the matches. Starting with that touching conversation between Ospreay and Omega (that's how you build a challenger). Plenty of other little moments pleased me, whether it was FTR's promo, Windsor's, Moxley's, and even Jericho made me smile. Sting's appearance was also noteworthy, even if it was part of a narrative bubble that left a bad taste in my mouth. In-ring quality: 2.25/5. Angles and segments outside of matches: 1.75/3. Bonus/penalty: good atmosphere +0.25 / Darby's push was too forced -0.5. Total: 5.75/10. Show watched on MyAEW."

[8.0] "Maaaaaan was this a roller coaster ride. I was pretty bent about this Darby match going in, as it felt like Kenny taking such a big loss would be completely minimized. But the segment with Will really saved that aspect for me, and strongly laid the groundwork for these two to main event Wembley. The Darby build throughout the episode did a TON of heavy lifting to get me onboard with the title change at the end. If they hadn't put in the work with the promos and segments throughout the night I would've been VERY sour, but by the end I was ok with the way it played out."