AEW Dynamite Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From April 23

Following up on one of the wildest episodes of Dynamite ever, the April 23 edition from the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans promised big action and a huge clash in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter competed for the first time in one-on-one in an All Elite Wrestling ring. Who would advance to the Owen finals to challenge Mercedes Moné?

The Young Bucks returned to in-ring action against the electric duo of "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight.

Will Ospreay teamed with Brody King to face mutual enemies in Konosuke Takeshita and Josh Alexander of The Don Callis Family.

Mark Briscoe and Ricochet collided in a match that could easily steal the show.

FTR returned to AEW after a suspension following their threats to Tony Schiavone after a heinous attack on Cope.

This was a big night for AEW, continuing the momentum toward Double or Nothing on May 25.

Tony Schiavone opened the show with rapper Master P, who introduced the trios champions The Opps.

The Death Riders interrupted the celebration to lay out the titleholders.

When Samoa Joe caught Jon Moxley in a Coquina Clutch, The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada attacked The Samoan Submission Machine with a steel chair.

Swerve Strickland and Kenny Omega came out to even the odds and send The Elite and The Death Riders running. Joe then accepted Moxley's challenge from Collision, warning that he was coming for his AEW World Championship.

This was chaos from the outset, setting a wild pace of appearances along the way.

Everyone who got involved made sense besides Master P, who was likely just involved for the hype of a celebrity appearance. His involvement was kept mercifully minimal.

The Opps standing tall with Omega and Swerve likely teases them fighting The Death Riders at Double or Nothing in Anarchy in the Arena.

It is likely Joe will get his world title shot before Double or Nothing, allowing Moxley to pick up perhaps his final successful title defense before the men's Owen determines his opponent for All In.

While Joe will not win, he is a great opponent for Moxley as a legitimate world-beater and former champion who will give The Death Riders all they can handle.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

—Master P threw the laziest punches possible at Moxley, safely avoiding a Travis Scott situation.

—Joe threw a side eye at Swerve as he declared his intention to regain the AEW World Championship.

After a competitive back-and-forth where Ricochet struggled to deal with the crowd hatred, Mark Briscoe reversed The One and Only's attempt to stack him up with feet on the ropes into his own pin for the win.

Afterward, Ricochet attacked Briscoe and went for the golden scissors. Kevin Knight made the save and stole the scissors from The One and Only.

This was a solid match, but the shock win certainly elevated it. This felt like a lost Continental Classic match, complete with a victory that would not normally happen.

As good as Mark is, Ricochet feels like a star on a higher level. This win may start changing that perception, particularly showing Briscoe is ready to get back into title contention.

The transition to Knight's arrival was seamless, and this is a good next step for The Jet in AEW. If this is the direction, it's a great showcase of Ricochet's value, elevating the 28-year-old rising star on the road to All In.

Result

Briscoe def. Ricochet by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

—After an early exchange, Ricochet questioned Briscoe and the fans mocking him for being bald when his opponent was also bald.

—The One and Only avoided the Froggy Bow and connected with a springboard 450 splash for a near-fall. The crowd responded with "You still suck!"

—Backstage, Christian Cage threatened to take Nick Wayne's newly won ROH TV Championship from him. Instead, he gave it back with "love."

Stokely Hathaway interrupted Tony Schivaone's introduction for FTR to talk up Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood.

FTR brought in Rock 'n' Roll Express to belittle and attack the legends. Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly ran out late to make the save.

It's good to see Stokely finally back on TV. His inconsistent usage in AEW is becoming an awkward running joke as there is so little payoff for his angles.

However, he fits this new heel FTR well, proving his value right away by striking all recent punishments from their record.

The use of Rock 'n' Roll Express feels a bit played out with FTR, but Dax constantly cutting off Ricky Morton was a delightful way to draw heat.

So far, this is a much-needed change for Harwood and Wheeler, and they should have plenty of material to keep their heat until Cope returns.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

—Stokely told FTR that he would get their suspension removed from the record books and their fine reimbursed.

—Before the sneak attack, Stokely showed off the new FTR t-shirt, calling them "The Living Legend Killers."

—It was later announced that FTR vs. Strong and O'Reilly was booked for Collision.

The Young Bucks found a dangerous challenge in "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight.

And only an interference from Ricochet saved Nicholas and Matthew Jackson.

After The One and Only grabbed Knight's leg, the Bucks caught him on the springboard and hit an EVP Trigger to win.

Welcome back to The Young Bucks. Their first match back in AEW was an absolute blast and a perfect showcase of their value to the brand.

It helps to work with two men who might be even faster than them these days. Knight and Bailey looked phenomenal throughout and lose nothing from the loss.

This was both the best action of the night and furthered the key stories of Dynamite. Ricochet furthered his rivalry with Knight even more in one night.

The Young Bucks showed how dangerous they can be and made clear they can keep up with everyone, which they will need to do soon.

Result

The Young Bucks def. Knight and Bailey by pinfall.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

—The Young Bucks revealed their toned physiques honed in their time off, looking in better shape than they ever have.

—In classic Bucks fashion, this match became a Superkick Party, ending with Bailey and Nicholas colliding with roundhouse kicks.

—Knight hit Nicholas with a dropkick right into a powerbomb backbreaker from Bailey that nearly won the match.

—Bailey hit a moonsault double knee drop into a UFO splash on Nicholas that again almost took the victory.

MJF interrupted Bobby Lashley, arriving in a fancy car to sway The Hurt Syndicate. He finally got his second thumbs up from Shelton Benjamin.

He offered his car to The All Mighty, who took it for a test drive, only to still give The Salt of the Earth a thumbs down.

This was a significant improvement on last week, even if it ran a little too long. MJF finally earned Benjamin's respect and learned nothing from that when trying to sway "Bob."

The best part of this angle is that The Salt of the Earth still cannot figure out that he needs a human touch to build trust with Lashley, and he may never understand that.

It is hard to imagine this angle sustaining the question much longer of whether MJF will join The Hurt Syndicate.

In the next two to three weeks, Lashley either needs to give him a thumbs up or The Hurt Syndicate needs to give him three thumbs down.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

—MVP explained that no one The Hurt Syndicate fights comes back the same but did put over The Gates of Agony as talented young lions.

—Shelton explained that he was not voting for MJF because of last week but because of MVP's trust in him.

—MJF struggled to get out the words "I'm sorry," causing the crowd to chant "Say you're sorry!"

—MJF interrupted Renee Paquette's interview with "Hangman" Adam Page. He reminded The Cowboy that he would still be the next world champion.

The combined efforts of The Don Callis Family were too much for Will Ospreay and Brody King as Josh Alexander finally kept The Hound of Hell down with a C4 Spike.

After the win, Archer chokeslammed Ospreay before Kyle Fletcher arrived. "Hangman" Adam Page tried to get his hands on him, but Roppongi Vinci attacked The Cowboy from behind, setting up a Fletcher brainbuster.

After last week, running back Ospreay and Takeshita was a dangerous proposition, but this was still fun. It was just never going to be at the same level.

If anything, this felt like it was more about the other two men. Alexander got to hit hard and look dangerous, while King showcased his resilience, fighting through impossible odds.

The size of The Don Callis Family now is almost overwhelming. Even The Death Riders cannot match up to them following the turn of Rocky Romero and return of Trent Beretta.

The post-match was a great hype spot for Fletcher, selling why he could defeat Hangman, even if he is certain to lose.

It will be interesting to see what the group does after the Owen. With so many moving pieces, an army will be needed to contest The Family.

Result

Alexander and Takeshita def. King and Ospreay by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

—While Callis joined commentary, Lance Archer stood in the corner of the heels, coaching his stablemates.

—Ospreay took out Archer outside but dived into a forearm strike from Alexander back in the ring.

—Takeshita and Alexander hit two double rolling forearms smashes on King, but the big man still kicked out.

Kris Statlander went all-out here, throwing her body at Jamie Hayter to take this win, but it was Hayter who had the final answer.

She caught Statlander flying with a Hayterade followed by another short-arm version of the move to win.

Mercedes Moné came out afterward to stare down her finals opponent to end the show.

This was the only match that could main-event this week's card. The stakes were clear. The result was unpredictable. The talent was undeniable.

Hayter and Statlander have been kept apart all the way to this moment, and they showed why this should not be the last time they fight.

Both women dug deep into their well. Statlander showed off her high-flying while Hayter went ground-and-pound with submissions.

It felt like they could have done at least a few more minutes as this was the rare Dynamite to end right at the two-hour mark. Still, they made the most of their time.

This was Hayter's moment to remind everyone who she is. Either woman could have won, but a Hayter victory makes the Double or Nothing match more unpredictable.

Either could win. Hayter has unresolved history with Toni Storm, stemming back to before The Timeless One's transformation. Storm vs. The CEO is the biggest women's match AEW may ever produce.

That is a recipe for success no matter what, and Hayter should only benefit from this spotlight match.

Result

Hayter def. Statlander by pinfall to advance to the finals of the women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

—Backstage, Storm threw out a championship eliminator opportunity for Collision, which was answered by Queen Aminata.

—Statlander went for a moonsault off the apron, but Hayter walked away from it, allowing her to plant on the floor.

—Statlander pulled off an incredible 450 Splash for the near-fall.

This week was always going to be a come-down episode in comparison to last week, but AEW kept a strong foundation in the push toward Double or Nothing.

The pacing of the night left the main event a bit short for time, but it was still a great showcase for Jamie Hayter and Kris Statlander.

Before that, The Young Bucks vs. "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight set the standard, delivering incredible action throughout.

Will Ospreay and Brody King vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Josh Alexander was also good fun, highlighting what was overall a strong card for action.

The story development was solid. The Death Riders have finally found real opposition, and the return of The Young Bucks has added so many fresh matchups to the story.

MJF and The Hurt Syndicate marches along toward a needed turning point. FTR's heel angle continues to grow into something special.

The main disappointment is that while the women's division has a larger spotlight, the story feels narrow, only focusing on a select few stars due to all the gold centered in one angle.

Dynamite remains a show that could use more variety but certainly has kept the biggest stories of the brand front and center.

Overall Grade: B-