AEW WrestleDream 2026 GRADED - Results, Review

All Elite Wrestling returned to pay-per-view on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with WrestleDream from Orlando, Florida.

The show was headlined by the first-ever AEW edition of a Clockwork Carnage Match, with AEW World Champion Will Ospreay putting the title on the line in the match of his own creation. The main event was solid for a first outing, and WrestleDream overall was a very good night of professional wrestling, if also one that was slightly dragged down by the repeated booking of incompetent refereeing spots. It was also fun to see Ilja Dragunov make his AEW debut and return to using 'Soviet March' from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as his entrance theme.

AEW WrestleDream 2026 GRADED:

Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne & Lena Kross) def. Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) - Tailgate Brawl

Tag team action kicked off the AEW WrestleDream Tailgate Brawl and Lena Kross immediately charged at Julia Hart to take control, with Divine Dominion dominating the early going with their power as Skye Blue worked as the underdog babyface, being worked over by Kross and Megan Bayne, including through the commercial break in which you could hear the production team actually count down the commentary team for when the show was returning on TNT and HBO Max. 

That return from the commercial break led to a Tornado DDT from Skye Blue, who made the hot tag to Julia Hart and ran wild, picking up a near fall following a Crucifix Bomb. A blind tag to Skye Blue resulted in a Spike Frankensteiner and Double Thrust Kicks. Megan Bayne went to break up the pin but Skye Blue avoided it, resulting in Bayne hitting a Splash to her own partner. Bayne retaliated with a Double German Suplex to Sisters of Sin and Divine Dominion regained the advantage some more after Lariats. 

Skye Blue fought back with a Cheeky Nando’s Kick but a couple of botches followed, including on Lena Kross and Megan Bayne’s German Suplex-Shotgun Dropkick combination with Bayne about a mile away from connecting to Julia Hart. Moments later, Julia Hart tried for an Enziguiri but was caught and ate From Heaven to Hell as Divine Dominion picked up the pinfall win.

Grade: C- - Outside of the botch down the stretch, this was a nicely wrestled, if short, tag team match that looks set to be the first chapter in a transformation for Lena Kross after receiving mist to the eyes from Sister of Sin earlier in the week. 

The Don Callis Family (Wardlow, Josh Alexander & Jake Doyle) def. Alex Breeze, Papi D & Rhys Maddox - Tailgate Brawl

The Don Callis Family ran wild in the opening seconds and Wardlow battered Rhys Maddox with his huge Lariat, before pulling down the straps and delivering Powerbombs to Maddox, then Alex Breeze, then Papi D. The Powerbomb Symphony led to The Don Callis Family pinning all three jobbers for the win. 

Grade: E - There was absolutely nothing to this in terms of a professional wrestling match, although Rhys Maddox was called ‘Rice’ Maddox by ring announcer Arkady Aura, which is an affliction affecting all people who use the Welsh spelling of Reece. I can sympathise being called Aidan, which is less popular than Aiden. It was nice to see Wardlow deliver the Powerbomb Symphony at least. 

The Dogs (Clark Connors & David Finlay) & The Death Riders (Gabe Kidd, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Wheeler Yuta) def. The Conglomeration (Roderick Strong, Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly) & The Bang Bang Gang (Jay White, Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn) - Tailgate Brawl

In a surprise, Jay White was back from injury already. The expectation was the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion would be out of action for a couple of months but he was cleared ahead of WrestleDream and wanted to wrestle at the show, Tony Schiavone noted on commentary. 

There was a fast start to the 12-man tag as Claudio Castagnoli delivered the Swing to Orange Cassidy, going for around 70 seconds until Claudio was just too dizzy and had to release the swing. The match went to the commercial break after this and the heels worked over Austin Gunn. 

Gunn made the hot tag to Jay White, who resumed his issues with David Finlay ended with a Backbreaker from David Finlay before a hot tag to Colten Gunn and he laid some lovely Dropkicks to Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta but Colten missed on a Stinger Splash and received lots of moves in the corner from The Death Riders, and even Marina Shafir when the official wasn’t looking, which resulted in a huge Lariat from Willow Nightingale, who was also at ringside. Wheeler Yuta threw Willow out of the ring, drawing massive boos from the Orlando crowd. 

Moves from everybody followed, including Twist and Shout from Daniel Garcia and 3:10 to Yuma from The Gunns. Austin and Colten set up for another 3:10 to Yuma but Wheeler Yuta distracted the official which allowed Marina Shafir to pull Austin Gunn out of the ring. One Fastball Special later and Wheeler Yuta pinned Colten Gunn for the win. 

Despite the match being over, everyone just kept brawling after the match until The Death Ridfers eventually retreated.

Grade: C - Another wild, fun match on the Tailgate Brawl where it was a little difficult to keep up with everything that was going on. The only negative was The Death Riders and The Dogs winning, particularly as Jay White returned in the match. The Conglomeration being serious also continues to go badly, which looks to be the point in this storyline. 

Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) def. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) - Match One of Best of Five Series

Early technical wrestling feeling out process between FTR and Motor City Machine Guns to open the match until Dax Harwood spilt to the outside to regroup after an elbow strike from Chris Sabin. After some “bald” chants upset Dax Harwood, FTR used that anger to take control during the commercial break, with Stokely Hathaway even delivering a cheap shot to Chris Sabin while the referee wasn’t looking. Hathaway then delivered some Stomps on the outside when the referee was paying attention to Alex Shelley instead of the in-ring action like a moron, with FTR very much delaying the match as time ticked down to the end of the Tailgate Brawl.

Once the match came back from the commercial break, MCMG fought back with a Crossbody from the top rope, but FTR took control again when Cash Wheeler grabbed Alex Shelley by the waist when he wasn’t the legal man. Shelley used his speed to bring both members of FTR into the ring and they brawled as the Tailgate Brawl ticked down, with the match continuing into the WrestleDream pay-per-view. FTR regained control again, however, this time working over Alex Shelley. Shelley locked an inside cradle on Dax Harwood but Cash Wheeler distracted referee Paul Turner. Shelley had the visual pin but Turner was distracted for an age, allowing Dax to kick out, and drawing “Ref you suck” chants. 

Cash Wheeler then went crashing into the announce table when he missed on a Splash to Alex Shelley on the outside, but Wheeler managed to recover and stop Shelley from making the hot tag, with FTR’s dominance continuing for so long, including through Harwood pulling Sabin to the floor when Shelley was centimetres away from tagging in Sabin. Eventually, mercifully, Alex Shelley made the hot tag after Cash Wheeler went testicles first into the turnbuckle. Sabin ran wild on FTR and the crowd were right behind MCMG, standing tall after a Cannonball to the floor. Stokely Hathaway then grabbed Sabin right in front of the referee, with there being no DQ as Hathaway then accidentally punched Dax. This led to a big Tornado DDT from Sabin to Dax back in the ring as Harwood kicked out at two. 

Sabin had the roll-up but Harwood launched him into a European Uppercut from Cash Wheeler, again behind the official’s back. MCMG then had the match won on a roll-up, with Paul Turner actually pulling up short when it didn’t look like Dax Harwood was going to kick out in time. Soon after, Alex Shelley delivered a Frog Splash, with Harwood getting his shoulder up at 2.9. MCMG then had another near fall on stereo Sunset Flips.

MCMG then hit Skull and Bones and they had the match won before Cash Wheeler put Dax Harwood’s foot on the bottom rope at the last moment. The distraction allowed Wheeler to push Shelley into the ring post and FTR decked Sabin with a Spike Piledriver, but he kicked out at 2.9. FTR taunted Sabin, who avoided Shatter Machine. One tag team move later and MCMG pinned Dax Harwood for the win. 

Grade: C+ - Two great teams kicked off their best of five series with a forced epic at WrestleDream. The match very much dragged at points, particularly when both teams were delaying in the opening 10 minutes to ensure they got through to the WrestleDream pay-per-view. There was also far too much of referee Paul Turner looking like an idiot to the point he just looked blatantly incompetent in kayfabe, as opposed to him being fooled by FTR.

Mercedes Mone (c) def. Thekla - AEW Women’s World Championship

Big time entrances for the next match and the action started quickly, with Mercedes Mone applying the Statement Maker, only for Thekla to escape with her spooky spider hand thing. Thekla then taunted Mercedes when she landed on the rope. Thekla had control until Mercedes Mone reversed the momentum, applying a Romero Special, which led to a near fall as Mercedes screaming in frustration. 

Mone later went for Double Knees on the apron and crashed and burned into the ring post, with Thekla following up with a Double Foot Stomp on the outside before she just swung her nether regions above Mone’s face after a little celebratory dance. Mone fought back with a Meteora for a near fall soon after but Thekla applied the Spider Lock, with Mercedes breaking the hold when she got her foot to the bottom rope. 

Thekla followed up with a Stomp but took an age to make the cover, with Mone getting her foot to the bottom rope again. Thekla tried to drag Mone into the ring but Mercedes had her hand on the rope. When Thekla began arguing with the official, Mercedes removed her mask and then bashed Thekla with it when referee Stephon Smith wasn’t looking for no reason. This led to a Mone Maker attempt but Thekla reversed into a pin for a close near fall. Seconds later, Thekla went for another Stomp but Mone countered into Mone Maker for the win.

Grade: B- - This very much felt like match one of a feud that All Elite Wrestling can continue to revisit. The in-ring action was very good, but the real negative was that it was a match with idiotic refereeing right after we had MCMG vs. FTR, which was filled with idiotic refereeing. There was absolutely no reason why Stephon Smith wasn’t in position to see Mercedes Mone use her face mask as a weapon except that’s what had to happen because the script called for it.

Nick Wayne def. Chris Jericho

The action started hot and Chris Jericho dominated the early minutes, which included an Attitude Adjustment on the steel steps. Jericho was in control until Nick Wayne blocked a Frankensteiner and pushed Jericho to the floor into a cameraman. An Orihara Moonsault followed and Nick Wayne proceeded to showboat, including with a European Uppercut back in the ring, but more taunting allowed Jericho to trip up Wayne. Moments later, Jericho missed on a Judas Effect but countered a Wayne’s World attempt into a Codebreaker for a near fall. 

A Chop exchange led to a Brainbuster from Chris Jericho before a Bulldog and Lionsault attempt but Nick Wayne blocked it, with Jericho then baiting in Nick Wayne by avoiding a Swanton, with Jericho following up with a Crossbody from the top rope to the floor. 

Nick Wayne thrust his penis into Chris Jericho’s face on the top turnbuckle soon after, which led to a Powerbomb from Jericho before he locked in the Walls. Nick Wayne made it to the ropes, went to the outside, drank from a water bottle, and sprayed the liquid into Jericho’s eyes, following up with Sliced Bread on the apron. A 450 Splash back in the ring was only enough for two, though.

Nick Wayne connected with Wayne’s World but Chris Jericho kicked out at one to a big pop and reapplied the Walls of Jericho. Wayne managed to roll through and received a slingshot into the turnbuckle before a German Suplex for another near fall. More stupid refereeing followed, though, when Bryce Remsburg was grabbed by Nick Wayne, who went for two Low Blows. Jericho no-sold them, however, as he was wearing a cup and he battered Wayne with the cup, which somehow didn’t lead to a DQ. When Remsburg was handing the cup to the timekeeper, Chris Jericho delivered a Low Blow to Nick Wayne and went for a Judas Effect but missed as Nick Wayne got an inside cradle for the 1-2-3. 

After the match, Nick Wayne shot off some pyro after announcing that he had beaten Chris Jericho for the second time. 

Grade: B- - Another good match at AEW WrestleDream, but also another one with ridiculous refereeing. Jericho just openly used a weapon on Nick Wayne and wasn’t DQ’d. I know there is referee’s discretion, but no pay-per-view needs so much of the referees being involved in the finishes, especially with stupid refereeing happening for the third match in a row. A nice story was told by Nick Wayne and Chris Jericho, though, and this feud has done a lot to elevate Wayne, especially with his pyro gimmick.

The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) (c) def. The Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher & Kevin Knight) - AEW World Tag Team Championships

The Don Callis Family were absolutely dominant in the early going, hitting a really fun Doomsday Device Dropkick, with Don Callis then choking Nick Jackson with the commentary cable behind the referee’s back. Yet more incompetent refereeing in All Elite Wrestling. 

Nick Jackson ran wild soon after with a Tornado DDT on the outside to Kyle Fletcher and he made the hot tag to Matt Jackson, which led to a Sliced Bread and Northern Lights Suplex, including one to Kyle Fletcher for a double pin and then a double Northern Lights Suplex for another pin, with Fletcher and Knight kicking out at two. 

Double-Stomp Powerbomb and a Backstabber from The Young Bucks led to another near fall against Kyle Fletcher. The Bucks set up for the Meltzer Driver but missed it, with Fletcher getting a near fall of his own following a Michinoku Driver. Matt Jackson caught Kevin Knight when he went for the Dropkick Doomsday Device, with punches being exchanged while they were on their partner’s shoulders. Poisonranas followed before a Canadian Destroyer from Matt Jackson to Kyle Fletcher from his brother’s back. 

Soon after, Nick Jackson hit a great Hurricanrana with the help of Matt but they failed to hit their splashes, with Fletcher going for his Turnbuckle Brainbuster but it was blocked by Nick, who followed up with an Avalanche Poisonrana, only for Kevin Knight to land the UFO Splash out of nowhere. Knight couldn’t make the cover, however, as Nick Jackson rolled to the outside.

Nick Jackson responded with a German Suplex on the apron before an Apron DDT from Matt Jackson, who shouted “See you in Hell” at Fletcher. Knight avoided a barricade Meltzer Driver with a Hurricanrana but the Young Bucks blocked a Jumping Lariat with a Superkick before a Spike Tombstone Piledriver on the floor. 

Back in the ring, The Young Bucks delivered a BTE Trigger to Kyle Fletcher but the Protostar kicked out at the last possible moment. Fletcher avoided More Bang For Your Buck and Knight hit Coast to Coast to both members of The Young Bucks. A Sheer Drop Brainbuster followed, with Matt kicking out at 2.9. Fletcher hit the Turnbuckle Brainbuster, followed by a UFO Splash, but Nick Jackson broke up the pin by just pushing Kevin Knight into his partner. 

Kyle Fletcher was setting up for the win when Kevin Knight blind tagged in, much to Fletcher’s annoyance. Knight then went for the Coast to Coast straight into the Superkick. Fletcher then ate some Superkicks of his own, with a Superkick Party raining down on his face. Kevin Knight went for his Jumping Lariat again but The Bucks avoided it and Knight wiped out Kyle Fletcher. The BTE Trigger to Knight followed as The Young Bucks recorded the successful title defence.

Grade: A - An absolutely fantastic tag team match at AEW WrestleDream as The Young Bucks looked as smooth as ever, and Kyle Flether and Kevin Knight are just phenomenal wrestlers. One of the best tag team matches of 2026 in a year already filled with excellent tag team matches in AEW.  

Persephone (c) def. Hyan, Queen Aminata & Dani Luna - Four-Way for the TBS Championship 

Everyone enjoyed time on top in the opening minutes of the match, exchanging pinfalls, and there was plenty of fan support for Queen Aminata. Hyan then ran wild with Spears to everyone, including one in mid-air to Dani Luna, but Persephone broke up the pin attempt, which led to another Spear, on the floor this time. 

Dani Luna next hit her great apron German Suplex, but she received a Headbutt from Queen Aminata for her trouble, which led to a Double Stomp, with Persephone breaking up the pin with a Shotgun Dropkick. Luna went for the apron German Suplex again but Persephone blocked it and an exchange ended with Hyan hitting a Powerbomb to the floor to Luna after a Headbutt from Queen Aminata. Aminata then just murdered Hyan with a Shotgun Dropkick while Hyan was sat on a steel chair on the outside. 

Queen Aminata decked Persephone with a Superkick back in the ring but Hyan broke up the pin and fired back with a Death Rider to Aminata. A Running Knee followed before a Falcon Arrow for two. Dani Luna then displayed her strength with a double Samoan Drop to Hyan and Persephone before a Blue Thunder Bomb to Aminata for a near fall. 

Soon after, Hyan had the match won but Persephone broke up the pin with a slightly botched Moonsault as she landed on Dani Luna’s ankle and Hyan just rolled out of the way as she was supposed to do. Persephone hit another Moonsault to Hyan for the win. 

Grade: C+ - An enjoyable enough four-way at AEW WrestleDream outside of the very awkward finishing sequence. The match won't linger long in the memory, however.

Andrade El Idolo (c) def. Tommaso Ciampa - AEW National Championship

The momentum switched back and forth in the early going and Tommaso Ciampa received boos after he stopped Andrade taking his trousers off, then Ciampa joked about taking his trunks off. Andrade then fought back with Three Amigos on the floor before a Split-Legged Moonsault for a near fall. A Tornillo to the floor followed and Andrade had enough time to take a selfie with a woman at ringside. 

This allowed Tommaso Ciampa to recover and he caught Andrade in the ropes with a Running Knee to the floor, which led to Ciampa taking a selfie at ringside with his daughter. Tommaso Ciampa proceeded to work over Andrade and he actually took his trunks off, revealing another pair of trunks underneath that said, “I just know.” He then threw the trunks at the announce table, which were picked up by Nigel McGuinness. 

Andrade popped back up and delivered a Flying Forearm. Andrade then got his pants half down and delivered his Moonsault into a Standing Moonsault for a near fall, before he finally took his trousers off. 

Soon after, Ciampa stomped on Andrade’s trousers and covered the pants but they kicked out at two, drawing “Holy sh*t” chants. This led to Andrade’s Spinning Back Elbow but Ciampa got his shoulder up at two. Andrade set up for the Double Knees but Ciampa connected with a Busaiku Knee. Ciampa couldn’t connect with the knee but he got a near fall after grabbing a handful of trunks.

Andrade connected with his Spinning Back Elbow again but Ciampa rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. El Idolo missed on a Moonsault to the floor and Ciampa pushed Andrade into a crew member and cameraman before connecting with the Bicycle Knee for a close near fall. Ciampa then tried to use the AEW National Title and then a steel chair but he was stopped from doing so by Aubrey Edwards. When Aubrey was getting rid of the steel chair, Andrade planted Ciampa on the belt with Widow’s Bell. Aubrey Edwards then counted and her hand slapped the mat for three but Ciampa kicked out at two. The match continued and Andrade simply followed up with the DM for the win. 

Grade: B- - Another good match at AEW WrestleDream but, again, there was dumb refereeing involved in the finish. So much of the same finish on the pay-per-view which has brought down those matches, and this one, from a higher grade. 

Hangman Adam Page & Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) def. Swerve Strickland & The New Level (Kofi & Austin Creed) (c) - Two out of Three Falls Match for the AEW World Trios Championships

The match opened with Bandido and The New Level but it didn’t take long for Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland to come to blows, with Hangman pursuing Strickland after Swerve grabbed his leg while running the ropes. An infuriated Brody King proceeded to batter The New Level and actually had to be calmed down by Hangman. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly followed up with some lovely trios offence to Kofi, including a Standing Shooting Star Press from Hangman and Bandido hitting a Splash from Brody King’s shoulders. Kofi managed to make the hot tag to Austin Creed and The New Level soon hit a Guillotine Leg Drop to Bandido, but the ROH World Champion kicked out at two. Bandido was all alone, though, and The New Level picked up the win in the first fall with Midnight Hour. 

Swerve then hit the Swerve Stomp and the pin was broken by Hangman. Bandido then tagged out to Page and he and Swerve battered each other with blow after blow, with each blocking each other’s finishers before Hangman hit Deadeye, with The New Level pulling Swerve to safety. Strickland was soon back in the ring, though, and he delivered the House Call, with Hangman kicking out at two. Page then dodged Midnight Hour and tagged in Brody King. 

Everyone exchanged moves before Brodido delivered their Monkey Flip-450 Splash combo to Austin Creed to tie the match at 1-1. The challengers continued their momentum until Swerve hit a barricade Hurricanrana to Hangman, with The New Level then hitting a Double Stomp into a DDT to Bandido on the barricade. Creed followed up back in the ring with a Flying Elbow but Brody King broke up the pin and fired back with a Suicide Dive to wipe out Strickland and The New Level. Hangman then hit a Moonsault and Bandido landed a Shooting Star Press but Austin Creed kicked out. A Buckshot Lariat into a German Suplex followed but Swerve Strickland broke up the pin with a Double Stomp. 

This brought it back to Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page as they just punched each other in the face before Hagman accidentally caught Brody King with a forearm. Strickland then hit Brody with a House Call and a Leaping Flatliner to Hangman. 

Page hit a Deadeye to Kofi on the apron but Swerve followed up with a Swerve Stomp to the face of Hangman. Brody King wiped out Strickland and no-sold some Austin Creed offence before he went to the top and looked to hit both members of New Level with a Double Superplex until Strickland made the save and connected with a Vertebreaker. Bandido then delivered a Poisonrana to Strickland and hit a Double Fallaway Slam to New Level. 

Bandido hit a GTS to Swerve but Swerve flipped through on the 21 Plex and we had a nice callback to the last match as Swerve went for Big Pressure but Bandido reversed into a pin out of nowhere for the 1-2-3 to crown new AEW World Trios Champions. 

After the match, The New Level handed the AEW World Trios Title belts to Brodido and they shook hands. Swerve did not do the same for Hangman and dropped the belt before Page could grab it, before walking off.

Grade: B+ - Not quite as good as their All Out match but this was still an extremely good professional wrestling match. It will likely forever be great seeing Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page come to blows too. They’re just such great rivals. 

Ilja Dragunov Debuts

After the match, a giant metronome appeared on the entrance ramp before ’Soviet March’ from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 filled the arena and Ilja Dragunov in a suit made his way to the ring bathed in red lighting and conducted an invisible orchestra, much to the delight of the fans in attendance. 

Jon Moxley (c) def. Mark Davis - AEW Continental Championship 

Jon Moxley paid tribute to PAC during his entrance with a Newcastle United shirt tied around his waist. Moxley, however, was soon bleeding following an Elbow Strike in the corner from Mark Davis.

Dunkzilla proceeded to batter Jon Moxley, with Moxley pouring blood all over the ring and the ropes, with Moxley firing back by pushing Davis’ head into the ring post. A Suicide Dive followed and this led to a period of Moxley dominance until Davis scored a near fall with another big elbow strike. A Piledriver on the apron followed in a mad spot. Moxley managed to break the count but he just went to the floor and looked terrified before he received an aggressive pep talk from Marina Shafir and Daniel Garcia. 

This lit a fire in Moxley and he and Davis just went back to battering as they were both covered in blood, with Moxley collapsing after some big forearms from Mark Davis. Mark Davis then applied a Rear Naked Choke, with Moxley reversing into one of his own, with Dunkzilla breaking the hold with a Death Valley Driver into the turnbuckle. Davis then went for something on the apron but Moxley sent his opponent crashing into the ring post, leaving Davis busted open. 

Moxley connected with a Death Rider soon after but Davis kicked out at two. Moxley then looked for the Brutaliser after a flurry of counters before switching to another Rear Naked Choke. Mark Davis managed to make it back to his feet but he couldn’t help but collapse into unconsciousness as Jon Moxley scored the win. 

Grade: B+ - A very good, emotional match that was a bloody massacre as Jon Moxley and Mark Davis battered each other in the semi-main event. 

Will Ospreay (c) def. Samoa Joe, Adam Copeland, Darby Allin, Kazuchika Okada, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Ricochet, & Konosuke Takeshita - Clockwork Carnage Match for the AEW World Championship

Will Ospreay would have to go the distance to win the first-ever AEW edition of the match he created as he and Konosuke Takeshita opened the Clockwork Carnage Match, with “Speedball” Mike Bailey the third entrant, Ricochet the fourth, Darby Allin the fifth, and Kazuchika Okada the sixth.

Mike Bailey ended up being eliminated before the second portion of Clockwork Carnage as he and Konosuke Takeshita had a long exchange, with Takeshita catching Speedball with a Blue Thunder Bomb and Raging Fire. Adam Copeland then entered seventh seconds later. Takeshita was eliminated next as he went for Raging Fire to Adam Copeland, only for Kazuchika Okada to appear behind him and deliver a Rainmaker for the 1-2-3. Okada then flipped off Takeshita in a great moment of mockery. 

Samoa Joe entered last to begin the second part of Clockwork Carnage. He did the nope spot on a Ricochet Suicide Dive and proceeded to record the first fall with a Muscle Buster on Darby Allin. Ricochet then picked up the pieces, though, and pinned Darby to record his own first fall. Kazuchika Okada then got his own fall with a Rainmaker to Adam Copeland. Ricochet tried to pick up the pieces again but Samoa Joe dragged hm out of the ring and applied a Coquina Clutch. 

Will Ospreay got on the board with a Styles Clash to Ricochet and the AEW World Champion was pinned seconds later following a Coffin Drop from Darby Allin. Adam Copeland was then tricked by Darby Allin with a handshake and Darby took the lead with a la magistral cradle, only for Ospreay to get his own second fall with a Hidden Blade to Darby Allin. 

A long period of no one recording any falls followed (Ospreay 2, Allin 2, Joe 1, Okada 1, Ricochet, 1, Copeland 0 at this point in the match) but there was a great spot with seven minutes to go as Adam Copeland hit a Spear to Ricochet from the apron, sending them through a table on the outside. Samoa Joe then hit a Uranage to Darby Allin on the side of the steel steps in a horrible spot, with Joe doing another nope spot, this time to a Cutter from Ospreay. Joe then locked in a Coquina Clutch and Ospreay eventually tapped out, with McGuinness pointing out on commentary that Ospreay should have submitted much earlier than he did. 

Samoa Joe just mocked the champion and went for a Muscle Buster but Ospreay escaped and Copeland hit a Spear to Joe to record his first fall. The second fall for Copeland followed seconds later when he caught Ricochet in mid-air, and Cope went for a Spear to Ospreay but the champion countered into an inside cradle for a near fall. 

Copeland, with around one minute to go, hit an Impaler DDT on Ospreay but he couldn’t make the cover, but he set up for a Spear with 30 seconds to go, only to run straight into an Okada Dropkick, before he avoided a Rainmaker and hit a Spear to Okada. Copeland made the cover on Okada with 10 seconds to go but Will Ospreay decked Cope with a Hidden Blade and pinned the former Edge with two seconds to go to win the match.

After the match, Adam Copeland pushed a celebrating Will Ospreay, before offering his hand, but pulling Ospreay in and declaring his intention to win the AEW World Championship. 

Final score: Will Ospreay 3, Adam Copeland 2, Samoa Joe 2, Darby Allin 2, Kazuchika Okada 1, Ricochet, 1 

Grade: B - Clockwork Carnage proved to be a solid match. The first part where any wrestler can be eliminated proved to be the weaker element as you’re sort of just spending the first 10 minutes waiting for more wrestlers to enter the contest, although it was nice to see two wrestlers actually be eliminated during this part. The second portion of a mega Iron Man Match was stronger and had a compelling story of whether Adam Copeland would be able to capture the AEW World Championship as he had zero falls for a long portion, only to have the match won when Will Ospreay ended his dream with two seconds to go. Not as much as a runaway hit as the Casino Gauntlet but hopefully AEW do the match again at a later date.

Show Grade: B - AEW WrestleDream had a strong finish from the AEW World Trios Title match onwards, with the first half of the show also producing really good in-ring action, but it was weakened by the incessant booking of incompetent refereeing for nearly every finish. It was bad enough seeing it once but seeing it match after match begged the question of whether AEW producers communicate to avoid everyone having really similar finishes, especially as constant interference in match after match at the last PPV in All Out was a theme throughout that night. 

Overall, though, WrestleDream was another good pay-per-view from All Elite Wrestling and worthy of your time. Make time especially for The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Knight & Kyle Fletcher. What a banger.