Dynamite – February 18, 2026: Dang What A Swerve

Dynamite
Date: February 18, 2026
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Bryan Danielson

We’ve got a big match this week, as Kenny Omega will be facing Swerve Strickland. That is the kind of match that could easily be on the upcoming Revolution card but instead we have it this week. At the same time, we are getting ready for the pay per view, meaning MJF and Hangman Page need to go face to face this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Mina Shirakawa wants the TBS Title.

Willow Nightingale knows that it’s tough to be a double champ but may the best woman win.

Megan Bayne says she deserves gold.

Swerve Strickland needs to beat Kenny Omega.

Omega says Strickland is in his way.

Orange Cassidy has a replacement partner for Roderick Strong: Tomohiro Ishii.

Jon Moxley vs. Mark Davis

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with Davis grabbing a waistlock to little avail. Instead Davis tries some chops, which have Moxley chopping right back. A sunset flip is broken up with a sitdown splash and a sliding forearm in the corner knocks Moxley silly again. They go outside where Davis hits some rather loud chops but Moxley ducks one of them, which hits the post instead.

The suicide dive connects and Davis’ hand is bleeding (that’s a rare one) as the fans are way behind Moxley. Naturally Moxley bites and stomps on the cut as we take a break. We come back with Moxley biting the cut again and superplexing Davis down. A PK gives Moxley one and they strike it out, with Davis using the bad hand.

Davis gets smart by using an enziguri but the clothesline is countered with a jumping cutter. Back up and Davis manages to hit the clothesline, followed by a gutwrench piledriver of all things for two. Moxley shakes a lot and escapes a choke, allowing him to avoid a running enziguri. The stomp doesn’t leave Davis down for very long so they’re back up to trade clotheslines. Moxley pulls him into the bulldog choke for the win at 14:00.

Rating: B-. They did a nice job of beating each other up as Moxley is always going to be in for a big brawl. Davis still feels a lot better as a tag guy but it’s not his fault his partner got hurt. I can go with having him around for something like this, but he’s going to be better off with someone helping him out.

After winning on Collision, Hangman Page praised Andrade El Idolo but says he’s coming for MJF and the World Title at Revolution.

Here are FTR and Stokely Hathaway to complain about the Young Bucks. The Bucks coined the phrase FTR but now they’re the second best team in AEW’s history. Hathaway is sick of doing the same things over and over and they hate everyone around here. He insults the Bucks over and over…and here they are to superkick FTR. Hathaway (still in his wheelchair) gets superkicked as well and the Bucks want their title shot at Revolution.

After losing at Collision, Brody King says getting so close to winning the World Title and losing makes him want it that much more. On February 25, he’s getting back in the title hunt. I’ll avoid making a joke about the bag of ice on his knee.

TBS Title: Marina Shafir vs. Megan Bayne vs. Mina Shirakawa vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale is defending and Penelope Ford is here with Bayne. Shirakawa is sent outside to start, leaving Bayne and Shafir to double team Nightingale. That’s broken up as Nightingale sends them outside for the cannonball off the apron, only for Shirakawa to hit a dive of her own. Back in and Nightingale gives the villains a double Codebreaker but Bayne is able to snap off a super hurricanrana. Shirakawa is sent crashing out to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Shirakawa striking away and Bayne accidentally hitting Shafir. Nightingale fires back with three straight spinebusters before she and Bayne drop each other with a double clothesline. Bayne clears the ring and hits a big dive to the floor but Shafir breaks up the pin attempt. A powerbomb puts Shafir down on the floor but Nightingale puts Bayne down back inside. Shirakawa is right there with a missile dropkick and kick to the head for Nightingale. That lets her load up the Figure Four, which Nightingale reverses into a small package to retain at 11:15.

Rating: B. They got rolling here and it turned into quite the spectacle for all four. Nightingale gets to retain again and that’s always nice to see, even if it still feels like she has no need to be a double champion. At the same time, Shirakawa’s fall continues, as she loses the match not long after losing some of her hair. That’s just a bad run, unlike this good match.

Video on Grand Slam.

Commentary pays tribute to WWE director Kerwin Silfies, who passed away at 75. That’s rather touching.

Here are Hangman Page and MJF for their face to face showdown. MJF says he isn’t going to cut some cutesy wrestling promo to sell Revolution. The truth is that he hates everything about Page, from his attitude to his wrestling, and he hates the fact that the fans think Page is the main character of AEW. What makes it even worse though is that MJF has lost to Page twice.

Page is just a lucky shot and on March 15, MJF’s birthday, MJF is going to prove it. Page talks about how the fans carried him to two World Titles and says MJF basically stole the belt. The reality is Page hates MJF far worse than MJF hates him, because they’re so much alike. MJF’s desperation for love and acceptance feels just like Page and they have both always needed the fans’ reception. He wants to end this at Revolution for good so it needs to be something different.

MJF can think of a stipulation because Page already has his own, and the people can pick. MJF thinks he hears Texas Death but SHUT UP because this is going to be a regular match. Page is willing to sweeten the pot a bit: if he loses, he never challenges for the World Title again. MJF says that’s a deal, but he wants a week to think about his stipulation. That’s fine with Page, who wants Texas Death. They definitely raised the stakes, but hopefully they have a good stipulation because otherwise it could be quite the mess.

The Death Riders still hate the Don Callis Family and a challenge is issued for Collision. As for Revolution, Jon Moxley wants Konosuke Takeshita, no time limit. That’s not exactly under Continental Rules there Mox.

Orange Cassidy/Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd/Clark Connors

Cassidy has to duck a big swing from Kidd to start and immediately hands it off to Ishii. Kidd wastes no time in taking Ishii into the corner and it’s off to Connors, who dares to try chopping. That just ticks Ishii off and Connors gets double chopped in the corner (Ishii is a bit more into it than Cassidy) before everything breaks down. Cassidy gets chopped down and Ishii is sent into the announcers’ table as we take a break.

We come back with Ishii and Kidd chopping it out until Kidd bites the head. Something like a Pounce puts Kidd down and they slap each other in the face over and over. Kidd hits a hard running lariat to put Ishii down and it’s back to Connors, who drops Ishii again. Ishii, who is favoring either his back or hamstring, manages a belly to back suplex and brings Cassidy back in. Everything breaks down and Kidd is sent outside, where Darby Allin kidnaps him into the crowd. Ishii grabs the brainbuster (really a suplex but it’s understandable as he seems injured) to pin Connors at 9:53.

Rating: C+. This was kind of a messy match, though that might be due to Ishii getting hurt. They kind of had to go to the ending in a hurry, though they got the big deal with Allin in and that’s all that matters. It’s certainly better than having Allin get beaten up all the time, as he has a reason for revenge here and is actually taking it for a change.

The Don Callis Family beat up a bunch of people in the back and accept the Death Riders’ challenges, both for Collision and Revolution. Kazuchika Okada comes in to say he’s here because he’s a champion while Konosuke Takeshita couldn’t even show up. Andrade El Idolo comes in to say he wants the World Title. Don Callis wants the CMLL World Title for the Family.

Hook wants to bring some new members into the Opps.

Brawling Birds vs. B3cca/Viva Van

Windsor hammers on Van in the corner to start and quickly powers out of a headlock. A sunset flip takes Van down and Hayter comes in for a running boot to the face. The Birds chop away in the corner but Van slips out of a double suplex. B3cca comes in and gets catapulted into an Irish Curse. A Hart Attack finishes for Windsor at 3:58.

Rating: C. Total squash here and that’s a nice start for the Birds. They’re pretty much two women with nothing else to do being thrown together and that’s a tried and true way to build a tag division. It was just a small sample size but it was a good way to start, so maybe they have something here.

Renee Young brings in Kris Statlander, who wants the Women’s Title back, and Thunder Rosa, who is back and cleared to return. That’s good to hear.

Kevin Knight vs. The Beast Mortos

Mike Bailey is here with Knight, who avoids a charge to start and sends Mortos crashing out to the floor. Knight slingshots over the post and takes Mortos down as we take a break. We come back with Mortos sending him outside for a running flip dive, which is quite the sight. Back in and the pop up Samoan drop gives Mortos two but Knight hits a great looking dropkick. A jumping clothesline drops Mortos again and Knight even manages a slam. The running splash gets two and Knight plants him with a running DDT. The UFO Splash gives Knight the pin at 8:36.

Rating: B-. They did some good stuff here, which shouldn’t be a surprise, and they didn’t waste any time. Knight continues to feel like a star in the making, with some outstanding athleticism. At the same time, I have absolutely no idea why Page/Jetspeed are the Trios Champions, as I don’t remember the last time they were even together on TV.

Video on Will Ospreay.

The Demand wants the Trios Titles. Say on Collision. They go to their dressing room, where they find a knife in the door. Eh must be nothing.

Swerve Strickland vs. Kenny Omega

Prince Nana is here with Swerve. They fight over a lockup to start with Swerve knocks him down. Omega is back with a running shoulder so Swerve slaps him in the face. Swerve is knocked outside but it’s way too early for the Terminator dive. They head outside with Omega chopping away and moonsaulting off the barricade as we take a break. We come back with Omega grabbing a suplex to put them both down.

You Can’t Escape gives Omega two and he drops Swerve face first onto the top turnbuckle. The snapdragon drops Swerve for two more but he manages to send Omega into the buckle right back. The Vertebreaker is countered though and Omega grabs a snapdragon on the apron for the big knockdown. Swerve is able to escape a snapdragon from the apron to the floor but then has to flip out of a German suplex to the floor.

That lets Swerve grab a suplex on the floor as they’re both starting to feel this. Back in and a 450 in the general vicinity to Omega’s back gets two but Omega is able to hit a running knee in the corner. The snapdragon superplex plants Swerve for two but he pulls the referee into the V Trigger (though it might have been due to her checking on Swerve’s banged up shoulder).

The One Winged Angel is countered into the House Call but there is no one to count. Instead it’s a Swerve Stomp to the apron before Swerve catapults him throat first into the exposed turnbuckle. Another Swerve Stomp gets two from another referee but Omega grabs another snapdragon. The poisonrana looks to set up the One Winged Angel but Swerve escapes for the House Call. Big Pressure finishes Omega at 20:10.

Rating: A-. These two had a pay per view quality match and I’m still not sure why it wasn’t on the pay per view. Swerve was definitely going more violent here, though I’m not sure how easily he would be able to turn heel. Either way, it was a heck of a match and definitely worth a look, as Swerve gets to show how good he can be in a huge match.

Post match Swerve beats Omega down even more and even hangs him over the top rope with the chain. A Vertebreaker through the announcers’ table ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event is great and the TBS Title match was worth a look, but the rest of the show wasn’t quite as awesome. The good thing is that they’re setting up Revolution, which has the potential to be quite the show. They still have some time to add a few things in and I’m curious about what is next for Swerve. For now though, the excellent main event more than carries the show.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Mark Davis – Bulldog choke
Willow Nightingale b. Marina Shafir, Megan Bayne and Mina Shirakawa – Small package to Shirakawa
Brawling Birds b. B3cca/Viva Van – Hart Attack to B3cca
Kevin Knight b. The Beast Mortos – UFO Splash
Swerve Strickland b. Kenny Omega – Big Pressure

 

 

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