Wrestling

Okada defends against Bandido on TSN2

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Ricky Havlik Okada Match Chicago, IL AEW Dynamite July 16, 2025 (Ricky Havlik/All Elite Wrestling)

Two title matches headline Wednesday night’s show as Kazuchika Okada puts the AEW Unified Championship on the line against Bandido and The Hurt Syndicate challenges The Opps for the AEW World Trios Championships. You can catch AEW Dynamite LIVE on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on TSN2, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.

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AEW Unified Championship match: “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada (c) (w/ Don Callis and “The Murderhawk Monster” Lance Archer) vs. AEW World Tag Team Champion and ROH World Champion Bandido (w/ “Big, Bad” Brody King)

At last Saturday night’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, we saw a rarity in AEW. As the teams of Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) and the Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita) beat the hell out of each another in the AEW World Tag Team Championship match, it became clear that Bandido’s shoulder was failing him. With Bandido grappling with how to keep going, opportunity for the champions came knocking in the form of miscommunication between the challengers. Okada’s attempted lariat missed King and took out the new IWGP World Champion Takeshita. Was it even accidental? Okada’s flipping off of his stablemate afterwards indicated no, but in any event, it was a turning point in the match. In the immediate aftermath, King laid Okada out with a piledriver and then fired up his partner, telling him to never stop fighting. It was exactly what Bandido needed to hear as he powered through with a one-armed 21-Plex to pin Okada and retain the titles. In doing so, Bandido joined “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson and Kyle Fletcher as the only men to have pinned Okada in an AEW ring. And not only did Bandido retain his tag title, he earned himself a shot at becoming a triple champion as Okada puts his AEW Unified Championship on the line on Wednesday night in their singles rematch. This might be a very different Okada on Dynamite. Even though Bandido is one of the very best wrestlers in the world and has had a 2025 for the ages, Okada will still be embarrassed by the way the WrestleDream match went down. That’s just the kind of wrestler he is. Okada doesn’t get pinned. Call it pride or arrogance, but Okada simply won’t allow himself to fall prey to Bandido again. And there is the matter of Takeshita, the man who now wears the title that Okada himself captured on seven occasions. Okada’s shame will be compounded if his frenemy is holding one of pro wrestling’s most prestigious titles and he has just lost his. Will Okada be able to cope with the pressure he finds himself under or will Bandido add another title to his collection?

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AEW World Trios Championship match: The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and “The Wrestler” Katsuyori Shibata) (c) vs. The Hurt Syndicate (“The Almighty” Bobby Lashley, “The Standard of Excellence” Shelton Benjamin and Montel Vontavious Porter)

The Opps that entered WrestleDream in St. Louis last Saturday night were very different than the ones who left it. In the AEW World Championship match, “Hangman” Adam Page did exactly what he said he would and put down the challenge of Samoa Joe. It took three Buckshot Lariats, but the Cowboy retained his title against the former champion. In the lead-up to that match, Page said that once he beat Joe, he wanted him to hand him his title and shake his hand and Joe obliged...and then followed that up with a vicious lariat of his own. Joe was joined in his assault of Page by Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata as the AEW World Trios Champions laid a brutal beating on Page that culminated in a Muscle Buster on the title. Joe made it very clearly he isn’t done with the Hangman just yet, but before he can get back to that, he has an enormous challenge to contend with on Dynamite. Also on Saturday night, The Hurt Syndicate of Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin and MVP defeated The Demand (Ricochet, Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun) to become the No. 1 contenders to AEW World Trios Championships when Lashley leveled Kaun with a spear and Benjamin got the pin. Their title shot comes on Wednesday night as The Opps look to make it a fifth successful defence of their belts since winning them back in April over the Death Riders (Jon Moxley, subbing in for the injured PAC, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler YUTA). The trio has turned away the challenges of La Faccion Ingobernable (Rush, The Beast Mortos and Dralistico), The Demand and Bullet Club War Dogs (Robbie X, Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney), as well as defeated the Death Riders in a rematch. But The Hurt Syndicate might be their tallest task yet. And what about Page? Cameras caught up with the champ after his beating from Joe and co. and Hangman vowed to ruin his life. The Cowboy always makes good on his promises. Will he begin to enact his next one on Wednesday night? Can the champions retain their titles or will gold return to the Syndicate?

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“Ultimo Moné” Mercedes Moné holds a 12 belts celebration

After last Sunday night’s win over Jody Threat to win the Winnipeg Professional Wrestling Women’s Championship, Mercedes Moné has brought her title total up to 12, two more than Ultimo Dragon held in 1996 and 1997. On Wednesday night, Moné will hold a celebration to mark her accomplishments. But will AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander have something to say about that?

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Brackets announced for the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament

On Wednesday night, we will discover who makes up the field to crown the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions. Will any surprise names be in store on Dynamite?