Two tremendous face-offs and a surprise debut on this week’s episode of Dynamite led the way, as the promotion starts moving toward All In

By Ryan K Boman | May 28, 2025

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All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show continues to take small steps forward, following nearly two years of fan apathy. This week’s episode was no exception, with the promotion leaning more into storytelling, but still prone to throwing in random matches here and there.

Still, Tony Khan’s run as a booker has been hit or miss. While he has certainly assembled a talented roster, it’s that same oversaturated lineup that has drawn focus away from ‘selling’ the show with effective promos and video packages. They may never be on the level of WWE in that category, but it’s been refreshing to see some subtle changes here in 2025.

Coming off the wild Double or Nothing event, the stage is now being set for All In on July 12 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The promotion could be primed for a lot of big changes as we reach the halfway point of 2025. Here are three things that stood out on this week’s episode of Dynamite…

Hangman, Swerve, and Ospreay Kick Things Off

After a hard-fought victory in the finals of the Owen Hart Memorial Cup, Hangman Adam Page was out to address the crowd. He mentioned his respect for his opponent, Will Ospreay, and discussed why it was so important for him to win the AEW World Championship again.

Swerve Strickland would come out and accuse Hangman (once again) of being in lock step with the Young Bucks, who have stoked animosity between the two by discussing their long-time friendship with Page and interfering in Strickland’s matches. Things got tense until Will Ospreay came out to play peacemaker. But Swerve was having none of it, as he refused to bury the hatchet with his long-time rival.

In the end, you would think these three will eventually be on the same page. But the better story is to tease it for weeks. Perhaps we will see Strickland or Ospreay (or both) help The Hangman fend off any outside interference when he faces Jon Moxley for the World title at All In.

Who is Thekla, and what is she planning to do in AEW?

Known as the ‘Toxic Spider’, international superstar Thekla made her presence felt on the show, which turned out to be unfortunate for Jamie Hayter. While Hayter was discussing her loss at Double or Nothing, the mysterious and mercurial Thekla attacked. She showed off some sleek and intriguing moves, including some similar to the late Bray Wyatt’s repertoire.

For some background, Thekla is most known for her time with Japanese women’s promotion, Stardom, where she is a multi-time champion. The Austrian-born performer has wrestled extensively in Europe, as well.

She’s quite an interesting character — at least in the brief time she was on the air. She definitely passed the ‘eye test’ in her big debut. Still, every fan must wonder: Will she be an effective addition to the AEW Women’s Division, or just another international star that becomes part of Khan’s ‘collection’?

Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone set up an intriguing match

Following her win in the finals of the Owen Hart Memorial Cup, Mercedes Mone will now get a title shot against AEW Women’s World Champion, Timeless Toni Storm. The former Sasha Banks seems focused on collecting as many belts as possible, but now, she’s got the highest prize in the organization in her sights.

While Mone hasn’t been particularly strong on the microphone (to say the least) during her AEW tenure, this segment actually brought something out of her. And Storm remains the promotion’s most entertaining character; she held serve and sold her character perfectly. Her promos are often a reason to bust a gut from laughing, but she kept the comedy mostly low-key when addressing Mercedes.

For some fans, it seems like a slam dunk that Mone (AEW’s highest-paid female superstar) will go on to weather the Storm and add another shiny trophy to her collection. That would be fine, as long as it leads to a long-term feud between these two leading ladies. That would be a great foundation for a 2025 rebuild of All Elite Wrestling’s Women’s Division.

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