[10.0] "TV match of the year so far this was fantastic. Loved the slow burn heel turn of Swerve throughout this match & the ref spot with Aubrey was gold. Crowd was super hot from the start which made things better, can't wait for a rematch between the both of them"
[7.0] "Quite disappointed with the match, considering my very high expectations. We've all seen dozens of Kenny's matches, and several of Swerve's, far better than this one. It had some rather sloppy moments, and even a rare botch from Omega. On the other hand, the V Trigger on Aubrey was one of the most interesting and funny moments in wrestling so far this year."
[10.0] "My favorite match of 2026 in a North American so far. Kenny looks the best he's been in years and it's truly great to see because I don't know how much longer the guy really has man. The V Trigger Aubry Edwards took looked nasty and I found it hilarious. Swerve is at his best as a heel, I'm so excited to see how this feud ends up playing out. It could be generational if done right."
[10.0] "Maybe biased by being in attendance but this was the best television match I've seen. The storyline was perfect the crowd was hot and Swerve and Omega both did everything possible to ensure their first meeting would be remembered forever. The match was already a banger before the Vtrigger on Aubrey spot but it really separated its self post that moment and the turn after the match becoming official was epic."
"This was very well done, even considering the promo exchange last week it provided a good build up for this match. This match, Kenny Omega is so skilled, also Swerve competent at delivering good offense. I consider Kenny Omega as master class at selling and delivering smooth matches and this match was example of this. It got progressively more brutal as time passed, with Swerve heel turn being towards the end. The post match chaos through the announce table was cherry on top. Very satisfying to watch I highly recommend"
"Really exciting match with a great post-match angle. Manages to really sell the hatred between two guys who seemed to get along okay as of about two weeks ago."
[9.0] "Great showing for Kenny and Swerve. Good story setup for Swerve's heel turn, and sold the danger that Kenny still possesses. Kenny had sometimes been slower than in the past due to all the surgery he's had for his diverticulitis. This was not the case here, he moved crisply and as you would expect for a big match from Kenny. Great match, well worth the watch"
"[8] This came with a great heat and palpable sense of frustration right from the opening exchanges. The first phase of this match ended as quickly as it began, Kenny bringing out the huge knee strikes and snapdragon on the apron to huge impact. There wasn't an electric tempo by any means, but all the key moments were well executed. Aubrey taking a v-trigger was a great moment that asked a lot of questions, Swerve unleashing his killer instinct with her down to a chorus of boos. Strickland looked great here, cementing a turn post-match, and picking up a monumental win. That said, I don't feel that these two produced enough significant moments with particularly good chemistry to boost this contest into the upper tiers. The intensity that we felt in the first few minutes didn't hold out, Kenny got no potentially match-winning offence in, and no fall felt like the conclusion of the match except the last. Love the story, love the post-match, love Swerve and Kenny. But was this match, from bell-to-bell, that a 5* thriller? Not in my opinion."
[7.0] "A good main event, but limited by a few slow moments. It's interesting when it allows for the build-up to the upcoming spots, less so when it feels like the wrestlers are resting a bit too much. Omega seemed particularly limited in this match, despite what he says off-air. The storyline about Swerve's danger was well-developed in the end of the match, but I think there's still plenty of room for improvement. In-ring quality: 2.25/4. Stakes: 0.5/2. Justification: 1/1. Placement on the card: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 6.75/10. Match watched on Triller TV."
[7.0] "Not usually my kind of match, but I thought this was mostly very good until it went too far for me by the end. A really well telegraphed and executed heel turn happens in the middle of this, with Swerve's offence just becoming more and more brutal building up the ultimate heelish act of the ref bump and beat down of Kenny who as always puts in a great selling performance. That's where it should've ended, being the emotional climax of the story. Unfortunately it continues from there, Swerve hits a bunch of match ending spots consecutively just for Kenny to kick out, reverse dance for another 2 minutes then lose anyway. Very silly stuff."
[10.0] "Swerve Strickland vs Kenny Omega was an absolutely phenomenal encounter that might be one of the greatest AEW Dynamite main events of all time. Two legitimate top stars doing battle with fantastic in-ring action, splendid selling and strong hatred on display. Loved every minute of it and the post match added to it after being brilliantly set up during the course of the match. One of the best matches of 2026 so far to me (*****)"
[7.0] "Felt like the finishing stretch lacked some intensity expected, and the ref spot was a little contrived. Kenny moves quite a bit slower now a days, and there's some moments here that are a bit sloppy. That being said, this was an awesome first-time match up."
[9.0] "A match and post math angle that Swerve desperately needed as I thought he was becoming stale. Top notch modern wrestling despite this crowd trying to fuck up all the hard work with dreadful "This is awesome" and "Fight forever" chants. Put Denver in the bin."
[9.0] "[4, 75 Stars] The level of matches that AEW offers us every week is just mind-blowing. I was afraid that they would take the easy way out when booking this match, but not at all. I want a rematch with stipulations at Dynasty."
"Great match. Very solid story told throughout, with Swerve's heel turn being the focus point. Kenny and Swerve pulled out their best and met the high expectations set beforehand. It was so amazing to see this live, and I still can't believe this was on free television."
"IN MEMORIUM OF AUBREY EDWARDS (1987-2026) Checks all the boxes of a Kenny Omega banger. That dastardly Swerve. I would've paid the $50 to watch this on PPV. Early MOTY contender for AEW."
[9.0] "Yea this lived up to expectations. Just shy of being perfect for due to a couple mistakes but overall this was a brilliant display of ability and storytelling. Easily Kenny Omega's best match since his return at Wrestle Kingdom and surely one of the highlights of Swerve Strickland's career and that's really saying a lot. What could've been a maximalist high octane bout like the Fletcher and Ciampa match was instead a much more methodical character evolution. Big spots were built to so perfectly and when the obvious move was made there'd be an extra touch added just to keep you on your toes. Swerve also did a great job at the mid match turn which I don't think AEW gets enough credit for doing. This was like Ricochet turning heel mid C2 times 10 with his in ring style getting more and more brutal as the match went on. The turn wasn't so much a mask falling off but instead it slowly cracked away until Swerves true self was returned to our screens. Masterful work"
[9.0] "Damn great TV match as expected with these two. I think the company should've just labeled it as "Kenny vs Swerve I", because these two will 1000% be back for more. I could realistically see a trilogy of this throughout the year. People were saying they started off slow, but I think it kept the same pace throughout the match, which was amazing. Omega is still one of the best wrestlers today, and Swerve is most certainly in the argument, pound for pound, as THE best wrestler. Heel turn of his was also great to see. ****1/2"
[10.0] "10/10. Simple enough, great match, told a great story. They played all of the hits, and Swerve's emoting was amazing. What a match, best one of the year in my opinion. This match told an amazing story and the pacing was great. They definitely played all of the hits but at the same time it was all new and unique. It is the match of the year so far, until next week when they find a way to top it again. I'm just speechless with what they've been able to do this year."
[9.0] "Back-to-back weeks with bangers on Dynamite. First of all, thank you TK for put a dream match of this caliber on free TV and the best part was that the match don't end in a DQ or some bullshit like that. Kenny and Swerve delivered a great match, with the only flaw being the ref bump, which should have been used for Swerve's heel turn at that moment and not after the match. Speaking of the turn, the good news is that we'll probably have a rematch at the PPV, and that will have consequences on the world title scene [****1/2]."
[8.0] "Maybe the best AEW match of the year so far. Just fantastic work from both guys here. Swerve was on his A game and this is easily the best performance of his since Wembley id say. His control stuff was really good and his power moves looked really slick too. I wish he'd focus more on becoming more of a powerhouse instead of trying to keep working as a hybrid wrestler when his more athletic offence doesnt really look the best now that he's put on more size. Outside of that though he was great here and im glad he's back as a heel now because he's definitely better suited to that role than he is as the sort of half heel half face that he's been playing as of recent. As for Kenny he was also great here. There are few in the world who are better than a motivated Kenny Omega and in this match he shows why. Awesome selling from him in this as well as the usual explosive bombs that he's known for. Love how Kenny paces matches too. This is a really bomb heavy affair but Kenny and Swerve pace themselves so that each big move they hit eachother with feels like it matters. They do go a bit heavy on the kickouts at the end but i still think the work in this match overall was really strong and both Kenny and Swerve put in two excellent performances here. The best Dynamite match of the year so far. ****"
[9.0] "[4.75 Stars] I think it says a lot that neither men are currently at their best (Kenny is long past his peak at this point and Swerve still feels somewhat stilted by the injury he suffered last year) and they can put on matches like this. Athletically things were still top teir but the storytelling both during the match and after it was simply incredible. The intensity was off the charts. Incredible stuff."
[9.0] "One of my biggest dream matches left that was still possible. It finally happened. It being a TV match does dampen that a little, as they can't go all out. However, this is still incredible. The match reaches another gear after swerve starts to tease the heel turn. Fantastic closing stretch."
[6.0] "Went too long for my liking and they passed up a pretty clear finish with the turnbuckle spot that would've felt more impactful IMO just to keep doing moves. Aside from that I actually thought this was one of Kenny's better return matches. Swerve needs to just change up his style or something with his added size."
[10.0] "This was excellent. The choices here to have Aubrey do a ref bump, Swerve hanging Kenny with the chain, and the vertebreaker through the table all make this much a memorable moment it time."
[9.0] "Given the participants, we knew it was going to be a good match, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Swerve became increasingly aggressive as the match progressed. The crowd was divided between the two men. The referee did a great job with an impressive ref bump. Swerve's heel turn was a good thing because, apart from MJF (who was actually watching the match), there were no other heels. It was unbalanced."
[8.0] "Awesome tv match, swerve Strickland looked aggressive in everything he did. Can say the same for omega though, there were times when he looked winded and did slip on that moonsault from the guardrail. Loved the ending angle, looking forward to see Heel Swerve again"
"9 - Excellent match with real crazy moments. Swerve close to a Heel turn? This rivalry is far from over. The sequences on the edge of the ring are incredible and superb finish. There is a real chemistry between them."
"This was always going to be a classic, given who was involved. Swerve leaning into his heel nature during this match was excellent, with one of the best ref bumps I've seen - with Swerve pulling Aubrey Edwards into the path of Omega's V-Trigger. The post match beatdown further elevated this one to 5 stars for me. Excellent stuff, Swerve has been on another level in 2026 so far, having excellent match after excellent match."
[10.0] "This was the goods. Fantastic TV match. TV MOTYC is something that should be typed every week it seems with the roll this show is on. Omega and Swerve chemistry is really great and the way Swerved (since adding muscle) leaned into his heavy side added to it. Quality TV for free!"
[10.0] "Match of the year so far. Kenny is in rare form and Swerve might be quietly having the best run of his singles career between this, Andrade and Kevin Knight. The heel turn was perfectly executed as well. Swerve has had great shades of gray over the years but it was nice to have him go clear heel with no questions. Kenny in 2026 is performing at a level I didn't think he was capable of. This might be better than the Gabe Kidd match. Up there with Dynamites all time singles main events and might even be top 3"
[8.0] "This was counter-heavy back-and-forth to the point of rendering both guys' signature arsenals ineffectual, and Kenny definitely has a stutter in his step nowadays. That all said, something undeniably clicked here and Swerve's ruthless streak on the home stretch made this a memorable clash with room for improvement in the grudge rematch ***3/4"
[8.0] "They needed some time to get the epic feel going, both in terms of chemistry and Kenny's performance. But then it started to hit all the beats, with the suplex on the outside being the highlight."
[9.0] "Well this absolutely over delivered. I don't know what I was expecting but this was a PPV main event quality match in any era. Paced perfectly, brilliant ring work, a story told throughout and an exceptional closing angle. THIS is pro wrestling. BANGER."
[7.0] "This was an excellent match from start to finish, exactly what you'd expect from two of the best in the world. It wasn't quite MOTY for me, maybe because my expectations were sky-high going in, but it still delivered on almost every front. The female referee bump trope showed up, but for some reason it felt fresher this time; probably because it didn't immediately lead to the overused visual-count-and-finish scenario. Swerve actually got the visual pin and went over clean, which immediately set him up strong instead of the usual trope of him losing momentum. The spots were insane; Kenny almost botching the first barricade moonsault and then hitting the second attempt perfectly was classic top-tier improvisation under pressure. The backflip reversal of the German suplex to the outside was jaw-dropping, and the final sequence was a nice twist on the usual finish: instead of Kenny hitting everything and losing, Swerve reversed the finisher twice and walked out looking dominant. The only minor gripe was the last few minutes descending into a bit of that hat on a hat on a hat AEW reversal madness; Swerve kills Kenny, Aubrey is down, and they still do a near-fall dance that almost looked comedic. Overall, this was a very strong outing: clean storytelling, high-impact spots, and a fresh finish that left Swerve looking great. Not MOTY, but still extremely high quality. ***1/2"
[10.0] "By far one of the best matches AEW has produced in 2026, mainly due to Swerve's flawless heel turn and the incredible final minutes. The match combined technical skill at the beginning, intensity in the middle, and drama at the end, all executed spectacularly. Swerve needed a huge victory to solidify his position and make him a key contender for the world title. In conclusion, a great match with a perfect storyline. 10/10."
[9.0] "As good as an American television main event gets and probably just slightly better than Fletcher-Ciampa for AEW MOTY. The post match was even better and turning Swerve fully heel is a great call in a crowded but awesome world title scene."
"Very very good match, pretty much as expected, not quite MOTY for me though. Maybe it's because of my own expectations heading into this , I mean it is 2 of the best in the world so it was obviously very high. I hate the dreaded ref bump trope as much as the next guy, but idk for some reason the fact that it was with a female ref made it somewhat better for me idk why lmao, also it didn't lead to the overused visual count and immediate finish afterwards, it did lead to the visual pin but Swerve got the visual pin and ended up going over so at least somewhat different. Kenny almost botching the first attempt of the moonsault from the barricades, only to play it off well and immediately heading into the 2nd successful attempt was insane, one would expect some concern having just failed the first attempt, not him though, I guess that's the difference between your average wrestler and the best in the world. Furthermore alot of good big spots, Swerve reversing the german suplex to the outside with a backflip was very impressive, and the finish was also somewhat interesting. Instead of the usual big match endings where one wrestler does all his big spots only to get a near fall, then get reversed as he attempts to redo his finisher getting reversed and ultimately pinned for the win, in this case the usual reversal did happen after the nearfall but instead of Kenny getting a few moves and his finisher for the win, Swerve ultimately reversed Kenny's attempt at his finisher again and that then lead to the ending with Swerve going over clean as a needle and looking very very strong in doing so. So Swerve got the visual pin with the ref bump and ultimately the clean pin to win the match. Quite suprised because TK loves using the usual tropes especially in big matches like this but nope he had Swerve go over strong. Good match, not quite MOTY for me, but still easily 9/10. Hopefully a rematch on a bugger stage can happen between the 2 oneday as with some more time and a bigger stage this 2 undoubtly will give us a MOTY contender. 9/10."
[10.0] "Sometimes you're reminded why you watch wrestling. This is one of those matches. Both wrestlers had their moments, they worked very well together as well and most importantly were given time to make this match special. 18 minute overtime on a regular dynamite is crazy but holy fuck was it worth it. This match was FANTASTIC, and most certainly one I'll be re watching one day"
[9.0] "One of the best if not the best TV match of the year so far. Kenny had a hard time dealing with Swerve who was visibly changing. Swerve broke the rules, was going for that Vertebreaker numerous times...and he eventually turned heel. This was a fantastic match with a lot of flow and storytelling. They will probably have a rematch at Revolution. Fingers crossed for a stipulation"
[9.0] "Absolutely incredible match. Swerve and Kenny are almost certainly two of my top five men's wrestlers going today, and I fully expected this match to be amazing from the jump. It didn't disappoint. Honestly, this once again makes me want to see Swerve do a full tour of Japan because he'd work Strong Style like a monster, but such things are probably not in the cards. I do feel like these two probably have a better match in them, because Kenny is still Kenny and with Swerve turning heel at the end, it could get even more bloody and relentless, but this is still one of the best TV matches of the year, and I wouldn't argue with anyone who wanted to give it the full 10."
[10.0] "Best TV match of the year. The struggle Kenny and Swerve had for minutes on the apron is what's missing from a lot of modern wrestling. A perfect sense of timing and tension, maximizing every bump. While constant back-and-forth action is always fun and beast, this match is the prefect example of rising tension will always have a higher ceiling whether on TV or PPV."
[9.0] "I rated it a 9.0, Swerve Strickland entered to a massive ovation and the arena thundered with "Whose house? ! SWERVE'S HOUSE! " chants while Kenny Omega received an equally huge welcome, setting the tone for a dream match that had MJF watching intently from the back. The bell hadn't even finished echoing before "HOLY SHIT" rang out, followed by dueling chants of "Let's go Kenny! " and "Swerve! " as the crowd in Sac Town swung their allegiance with every breathtaking exchange. One of the most incredible moments came on the apron when Swerve teased a vertebreaker only for Omega to counter with a snap dragon suplex on the hardest part of the ring, excellent. The match was a beautiful, chaotic chess game: Swerve methodically dissecting Omega with killer precision, Omega counter-wrestling with insane athleticism, both men surviving avalanche snap dragons, house calls, and other assorted near falls that had the crowd screaming "Fight Forever" and "AEW! " A controversial turning point came when Omega accidentally blasted Aubrey Edwards with a knee, possibly thanks to Swerve, leading to a phantom seven-count after a House Call that sent the arena into a frenzy. Sloppy moments like Swerve's mistimed teharis and Omega's guardrail moonsault were instantly redeemed with jaw-dropping follow-ups, including Swerve's flipping dive, Omega's perfect moonsault, and some amazing counters, powerbombs, rolling suplexes, apron stomps, and exposed turnbuckles oh my. In the end, Swerve countered the V-Trigger with a House Call and delivered Big Pressure to pin Omega, capping a match where the crowd, the stakes, and the performance all felt truly All Elite."
[10.0] "I was wondering if Kenny still had it (to such a high level) after a few good-not-great matches recently, but this really showed he did. Also, I feel like, while Dynamite has been good, quite a lot of it has seemed missable. This seemed to have big implications and I'm much more into Swerve as heel than a face. Good good."
[8.0] "They made this feel like a PPV main and it definitely was booked like one. I do think the final few minutes felt a little overstuffed especially given the lengthy post-match but I thought they had a good bombfest in the same vein as Omega/Andrade with an even more exciting finish...except it had another like 2-3 minutes in the match after what would've been a great finish. Great match though, it just felt like they already did everything they could here when they're definitely going to have another match down the line. Also kudos to Aubrey for eating that V-Trigger. ****"
[10.0] "MOTY CONTENDER. This match was a PPV main event on free TV. What a battle, with incredible pacing and setting up spots like when Kenny tried the snapdragon on the apron, Swerve flipped out and countered but later Kenny get Swerve on the top rope and hits the snapdragon up there. Both guys worked their ass off. Huge shoutout to Aubrey Edwards as well who took a gnarly ref bump and looked like she died. Great, great match."
[10.0] "Excellent match that felt more like a PPV main event than a TV main event. Kenny has really been back on form of late and Swerve was great. Looking forward to seeing the two of them go at it again when Kenny comes back, though unfortunately it doesn't seem like that will happen at Revolution."
[10.0] "As good of a tv match as you're going to see, this accomplished a whole lot while delivering in spades as a big first time match. Kenny is still absolutely incredible and Swerve is undeniably great. This ruled and is one if the best tv matches I've ever seen."
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