AEW Dynamite Recap (August 20, 2025): Chaos Before Forbidden Door

All Elite Wrestling presented its final Dynamite before this weekend’s Forbidden Door, and the episode was filled with shocking returns, stipulation changes, and wild faction warfare. Broadcasting from Scotland, the show was designed to raise the stakes and set the tone for one of AEW’s biggest pay-per-views of the year.

Hangman Page Cornered by MJF

AEW World Champion Hangman Adam Page

In one of the night’s most dramatic moments, MJF pushed his rivalry with Hangman Page to a disturbing level. The former AEW World Champion revealed that he had kidnapped Mark Briscoe, chaining him up and threatening to burn him alive unless Page gave in to his demands. With no other choice, Page agreed to MJF’s conditions for their upcoming World Title clash at Forbidden Door: the challenger can now win the belt via count-out or disqualification, and he won’t even need to use his Casino Gauntlet contract. The chilling segment firmly established MJF’s psychological edge heading into the pay-per-view.

Luchasaurus Returns to Action

Luchasaurus

After months away battling double pneumonia, Luchasaurus shocked the crowd with his return. He will now replace the injured Nick Wayne in the highly anticipated reunion match alongside Adam Copeland and Christian Cage. While Cage and Copeland remain a combustible pairing, the addition of Luchasaurus only adds intrigue to their looming showdown.

Death Riders vs. JetSpeed & Tanahashi

In a six-man war, Hiroshi Tanahashi teamed with JetSpeed’s Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight to take on the Death Riders—Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta. After a thrilling back-and-forth, Tanahashi and JetSpeed picked up the victory. The celebration was short-lived, however, as Gabe Kidd, Drilla Maloney, Clark Connors, and Robbie X stormed the ring. The brawl drew in the Young Bucks, Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, Darby Allin (in a bizarre surprise entrance from a bag), and The Opps, resulting in total chaos to close the segment.

Tag Title Eliminator Ends in Draw

The finals of the AEW Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament saw FTR battle Brody King & Bandido. The match was a grueling contest that went the distance, ultimately ending in a time-limit draw. Because of the stalemate, both teams will now advance to challenge The Hurt Syndicate for the championships at Forbidden Door.

Women’s Division Showdown

In a high-profile tag bout, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and TBS Champion Mercedes Moné teamed up to face AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm and Alex Windsor. The star-studded encounter delivered, with Athena and Moné scoring the win, giving them major momentum before their respective championship defenses.

Ospreay Sends a Message to Moxley

Despite not being medically cleared due to injury, Will Ospreay declared he would compete at Forbidden Door regardless, citing the match’s unsanctioned stipulation as his justification. He came face-to-face with Jon Moxley, igniting tension ahead of their brutal Lights Out Steel Cage encounter.

Final Thoughts

This week’s Dynamite was a perfect storm of drama and unpredictability. From MJF’s sinister tactics against Hangman Page to the surprise return of Luchasaurus and the all-out faction warfare, AEW set the stage for a can’t-miss Forbidden Door. With multiple championships on the line, bitter rivalries reaching their peak, and shocking stipulations now in play, fans can expect fireworks when AEW and NJPW collide this weekend.