AEW Dynamite in Portland, Oregon, Live on TBS, April 22nd, 2026 — The Episode Recap:
- robbyplaha
- Apr 26
- 5 min read
Location: Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Where to Watch: Live on the TBS Network & Streaming Live on HBO Max.
What to Watch This Week: AEW Collision Playoff Palooza Live on the TNT Network and Streaming on HBO Max on Saturday at 8 P.M. ET, 7 P.M. CT, 5 P.M PT.
The April 22nd Episode of AEW Dynamite — The Official Match Results:
The Opening Match: Brody King defeated Lio Rush in a Singles Match | via Pin-Fall — (09:53)
The 2nd Match: Hikaru Shida (with Kris Statlander) defeated Mina Shirakawa in a Singles Match | via Pin-Fall — (11:49)
The 3rd Match: Mark Davis defeated Will Ospreay in a Singles Match | via Referee’s Decision — (15:36)
The 4th Match: Samoa Joe defeated Cody Chhun in a Singles Match | via Pin-Fall — (02:39)
The Main Event Match: Darby Allin (c) defeated Tommaso Ciampa in an AEW World Title Match | via Pin-Fall — (18:01)
My Official Thoughts on the April 22nd Episode of AEW Dynamite:
My Official Thoughts: Amazing episode, we had an all-timer as we saw one of the greatest TV defenses in AEW history as Darby Allin and Tommaso Ciampa laid it all on the line. From the opening bell, their intensity set the tone for the night, and every near fall felt earned rather than cheap. The pacing was incredible, the storytelling inside the ring was tight, and both guys came out of this looking like absolute stars. This is the kind of match people will reference for a long time when they talk about what makes AEW special. Beyond that defense, the rest of the show was genuinely enjoyable for me. The undercard delivered a nice mix of hard-hitting matches, character work, and angles that actually moved stories forward instead of feeling like filler. Promos had purpose, the backstage segments added context instead of confusion, and the crowd stayed hot throughout the night, which really elevated the entire presentation. AEW Dynamite continues to deliver top‑quality wrestling. They clearly understand what the fans want, and they consistently deliver on that expectation, blending high-level in-ring action with long-term storytelling and moments that feel meaningful. This episode was another reminder of why so many people are invested in this product. Overall, this was some great stuff from top to bottom, and it left me excited for what’s coming next. With the way they’re building momentum, next week’s show is shaping up to be must‑see TV as well, with some amazing matches already expected and the potential for even more surprises and standout performances.
The April 22nd Episode of AEW Dynamite — My Official Match Ratings:
The Opening Match: Brody King vs. Lio Rush in a Singles Match | The Match Rating: **.75 — Not a huge fan of the Blackheart character, but I’m happy that Lio Rush got on AEW Dynamite because this gimmick has been a huge talking point in the wrestling community, and even celebrities like Doechii have posted about him. But Brody King got the win, and now he is fighting for the AEW World Title next week against Darby Allin.
The 2nd Match: Hikaru Shida (with Kris Statlander) vs. Mina Shirakawa in a Singles Match | The Match Rating: *** — Hikaru Shida being back is sick, as she got the win over Mina Shirakawa, who has been getting a good amount of TV time, which is good for her, but the team of Hikaru Shida & Kris Statlander, I really hope they become AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions in the near future, it would be nice to see.
The 3rd Match: Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay in a Singles Match | The Match Rating: ****.50 — This was such an awesome match. When I tell you the attacking of Will Ospreay’s neck made so much sense, because why is Will Ospreay wrestling knowing he isn’t at 100%? Mark Davis took advantage of that as he attacked, attacked, and attacked, making Will Ospreay feel weak in the process, as in the end the match ended in a Referee Decision with Will Ospreay lying lifeless, but afterwards we saw The Death Riders making the save for Will Ospreay, carrying him out through the interesting crowd.
The 4th Match: Samoa Joe vs. Cody Chhun in a Singles Match | The Match Rating: N/A — Samoa Joe is back, the 2x AEW World Champion is back as he squashed Cody Chhun, really excited to see what he does now because I would like a Darby Allin and Samoa Joe match but it’s too soon to have Samoa Joe lose as he just came back but this man needs a big-time feud for the summer because when he’s on AEW the show’s are a lot better.
The Main Event Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa in an AEW World Title Match | The Match Rating: ***** — This was an amazing piece of wrestling displayed by some of the best in the business today. Tommaso Ciampa, around this time last year, was in WWE having a feud within the Tag Division, sparking that, but since joining AEW, it’s like AEW made him love wrestling again. Now, this was a very hard-hitting, gritty, and amazing display of professional wrestling. Darby Allin is starting his reign off with one of the best TV Title Matches of the year 2026, and this match shows people why this reign is going to work because the match we’ll get with Darby Allin is going to be phenomenal, but take a bow, Darby Allin & Tommaso Ciampa, because you guys did your thing. After the match, Brody King issued the challenge, which Darby Allin accepted. Now we’re getting a David vs. Goliath-style title match next week on AEW Dynamite.
The April 22nd Episode of AEW Dynamite — My Match of the Night: Darby Allin (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa in an AEW World Title Match | The Match Rating: ***** — This was a fantastic, hard-hitting showcase from two of the best in the business today. A year ago, Tommaso Ciampa was in WWE’s tag division, but since joining AEW, it feels like he’s rediscovered his love for wrestling. Darby Allin kicked off his reign with one of the best TV title matches of 2026, proving why this run can succeed: his matches are going to be must-see. Take a bow, Darby Allin and Tommaso Ciampa. After the match, Brody King laid down a challenge, which Darby accepted, setting up a classic David vs. Goliath title match next week on AEW Dynamite.
The April 22nd Episode of AEW Dynamite — My Official Episode Grade: 8.50/10 (A-) — Amazing episode, we had an all-timer as we saw one of the greatest TV Defenses in AEW History as Darby Allin & Tommaso Ciampa laid it all on the line, and the rest of the show was enjoyable for me. AEW Dynamite delivers top-quality wrestling. They understand what the fans want and deliver, so this was some great stuff, and next week we’ve got some amazing matches expected.
Next Week AEW Dynamite April 29th Episode in Fairfax, Virginia, USA — The Announced Appearances, Matches & Segments:
Darby Allin (c) vs. Brody King in an AEW World Title Match.
Kevin Knight (c) vs. MJF in an AEW TNT Title Match.
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