Kenny Omega returns to the ring tonight on Dynamite in a high stakes singles match against Swerve Strickland. If Omega wins, he takes Swerve’s spot as the number one contender for the AEW world championship. If Strickland wins, he takes Kenny’s status as Executive Vice President (EVP) of AEW. Swerve said he wants power in AEW, and this is how he plans to get it. He already helped remove the Young Bucks’ status as EVPs last summer, so he seems to know what he’s doing here.

This stipulation would be a bigger deal if AEW previously established that EVPs can easily throw their weight around and not be subject to Tony Khan’s authority as the ultimate decision-maker in AEW. But from what I recall, the Young Bucks were only effective at abusing their EVP powers when they injured Khan and briefly kept him off TV. As long as Tony Khan is backstage at AEW television (and his attendance rate is as close to 100% as it gets in AEW), it’s not clear what being an EVP really gets Swerve as far as being able to influence his match making and goal to win back the AEW world title. It would go a long way if AEW explained what exactly Swerve gets to do as EVP that he doesn’t get to do if he loses this match. Omega’s last match took place over a month ago on Dynamite. That’s when Swerve beat Kenny and then turned heel by putting him on the shelf with a Vertebreaker through a table after the match was over. Kenny wants revenge, and the best way to do that is to remove Swerve from AEW world title contention.

AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla defends the gold tonight against Mina Shirakawa, who filled in for Toni Storm last week and picked up a surprise win over Marina Shafir. There’s a big mystery regarding the identity of the person who left Storm unconscious backstage and took her out of AEW for potentially the rest of 2026. Thekla thinks Toni is faking it because she’s afraid of the Toxic Spider. Will Ospreay’s return to AEW seems way too soon following neck fusion surgery last September. AEW threw him right back in the ring against a low card guy last week on Dynamite, rather than saving the Aerial Assassin’s return match for PPV, or a more interesting opponent on TV. Now that the rust is off, Will intends to get revenge on AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley and the Death Riders for trying to end his career last summer.