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AEW Dynasty 2026 preview and predictions: 5 key questions for Sunday's PPV
In the wake of one of the best shows in the promotion’s history, AEW Dynasty goes down this Sunday at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Headlined by an AEW World Championship clash between MJF and Kenny Omega, Dynasty will be the last pay-per-view before AEW’s flagship show, Double or Nothing, next month in New York.
The Uncrowned Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to preview the card, answer burning questions and make our big predictions for this weekend’s event.
Let’s ride!
1. We all felt last year that it was a matter of when, not if, Will Ospreay would become AEW World Champion. Does that road finally start with a win over Jon Moxley on Sunday, or is Ospreay teflon enough that a loss won’t matter as we peek toward All In: Wembley?
Jackman: Don't remind me — some of us ended up with the proverbial egg on our faces last year when Ospreay didn't win the Owen Hart Cup. I'm not sure I've predicted something so confidently in writing to then see it go down in flames hours later. That said, I remember Ospreay being a seriously heavy favorite on the betting markets, so we clearly weren't alone on that front.
As for what happens to Ospreay this weekend, I'm really not sure. If you were going by the obvious playbook, you'd send him on a crowd-pleasing winning streak in the run-up to All In. But we all know that Tony Khan likes to be contrarian sometimes, so who knows? Plus it isn't like Moxley's booking is particularly predictable at the moment either, which just adds another layer of uncertainty.
Sulla-Heffinger: Ospreay is in such a unique spot here. Not only does he not need to win here, but even if he did, does his trajectory change at all with the Continental Championship? I would argue no.
Barring an injury, Ospreay absolutely should win this year’s Owen Hart Classic and be in the main event of All In: Wembley in August. Any other booking would be a disservice to every entity involved, especially the fans.
Ospreay hasn’t lost since he returned to action last month and this will be his biggest test. I think his path is a smidge more compelling if he faces some adversity and Jason Solomon made a great suggestion on this week’s Uncrowned Wrestling Show when he fantasy booked a rematch of this for the final of the aforementioned Owen Hart Classic.
Riggs: Both can be true. A loss wouldn't derail Ospreay much at all, but the time is certainly now to build his way toward his coronation.
The timing of Sunday’s show works out pretty perfectly, too. Whether it's MJF or Kenny Omega standing across from him at the time of his big title tilt, there's no losing with either of those pairings, and each option delivers drastically different types of fun. However, with Omega's clock much more limited than MJF's, that could be all that's needed to intertwine these storylines enough to get us there.
Honestly, the Continental Championship's inclusion here feels like something of a roadblock — unless AEW does a smart thing and consolidates championships, with the Continental being absorbed into a future world title clash. That's just my fantasy booking, but ultimately, Ospreay is amid his fresh, exciting return. There's no longer any good reason to drag out his moment atop the mountain, especially after getting through the “Hangman” Adam Page saga — for now.
Dansby: Ospreay’s delay in becoming AEW World Champion has always felt more tied to injuries than booking. If he had been consistently available since signing in 2023, there’s a strong chance he would have already had a title run by now. He’s even acknowledged that his high-flying style has taken a toll over the years, which makes availability just as important as talent in his case.
If he’s healthy now and can stay that way through the summer, this feels like the moment to fully commit. He shouldn’t lose here. Build that momentum, keep him hot, and let it carry all the way to Wembley, where he feels destined to headline for the AEW World Championship.
2. Since his return, Kenny Omega’s ambition has been for one more run with the AEW World Championship. If we’re forecasting for the rest of this year, who can do more for the main-event picture: Omega or MJF?
Riggs: I kind of talked myself into the outcome after that last question — one last ride for Omega, setting up a wildly epic finale in August with Ospreay.
AEW’s main-event scene may be fresher if MJF remains champion and continues to excel in ways only he can. But Omega is Omega — a bulletproof force and eyeball magnet, who will most assuredly get a spectacular sendoff, as he rightfully should.
It's a win-win situation no matter how the pie is cut. If we have to pick, siding against MJF would feel somewhat wrong, but it’d be far from a disaster considering the ample potential still surrounding "The Cleaner."
Dansby: The answer is still MJF.
He’s the best heel AEW has, especially in a landscape filled with straightforward babyface challengers. More importantly, he consistently elevates whoever he’s in the ring with, whether they’re chasing him or standing across from him in a major match.
Like Ospreay, Omega’s momentum has been slowed by injuries, and the timing just doesn’t feel right to shift the title onto him. A classic match between MJF and Omega only strengthens MJF’s reign and sets the stage for a massive showdown with Ospreay at Wembley, one that could carry a true global main event feel.
Jackman: I bow to no one in my admiration for MJF, but I think there's a case to give this one to Kenny Omega. The man himself has been clear in recent interviews that he isn't certain how much longer he can keep going, and it would still be a hugely powerful moment to see him get one last run with that gorgeous title around his waist.
Omega also has the right kind of pristine good-guy credentials you'd need to do a convincing babyface vs. babyface title match with Will Ospreay. The image of Omega raising the arm of Ospreay at Wembley Stadium would be iconic in its own right, but it would also say a lot about the journey of AEW itself.
That said, I still think MJF is the most likely winner on Sunday, hence me ticking him in our predictions sweepstakes below. You have to be strategic, right?
Sulla-Heffinger: If we’re operating under the assumption that the winner here is dropping AEW’s top title to Ospreay this summer, I think you pull the trigger on Omega and set up an epic clash at All In: Wembley, with it being a true passing-of-the-torch moment.
That booking isn’t a knock on MJF or his title run — he’s the present and future of AEW in more ways than one — but the reality is Omega is closer to the end of his career, and who's to say you’ll get an opportunity like this again? Plus, MJF can always claim Ospreay beat a diminished foe for his first AEW World Championship and insert himself right back into the mix later in the year. Considering the marginally easier path back to the main-event picture MJF has, I think Omega presents the stronger scenarios for the rest of 2026.
3. The last time Cage and Cope faced FTR, the current champions came up short. Would you put FTR over this time to set up a third showdown, or give Canada the payoff by crowning new champions?
Jackman: I mean, Canada has already had their big hometown pop from seeing Cage and Cope team up at All Out 2025, with the schmaltzy entrance alongside Wendel Clark and Bubbles. These things have diminishing returns if you do them too often.
What's more, I think there could be some decent mileage in having FTR win this one in front of the Vancouver crowd. I always remember being in Cardiff when Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre, in front of a crowd who half-expected a title change. That showed me how much potential there can be in having the local hero get screwed out of their crowd-pleasing moment.
In the long run, FTR obviously have to get their comeuppance after that brutal spike piledriver on Beth Phoenix, but I think I'd be tempted to give them the underhanded win on this occasion. That way you can keep the cathartic payoff still in the bank for All In. I can only imagine what “Metalingus” is going to sound like in Wembley Stadium …
Riggs: FTR staying champions is undeniably the right thing to do purely due to age, right? But the pop in Vancouver may be too much to overcome for AEW, and I get it.
As much as WWE gets flak for loving its "moments," all wrestling companies are prisoners to them in their own ways.
Really, it should depend on where the match is slotted on Sunday’s lineup, just as we saw when Dustin Rhodes finally won a singles title midway through the night at All In: Texas. Perhaps the only way AEW feels it can steer toward that fantastical TLC match between these two pairings and the Young Bucks is by getting the belts on the former Edge and Christian — and at this point, why not? Who knows how much time they have left? Let's get crazy for one grand finale run — similarly, but different, from Sting's.
Sulla-Heffinger: If we can get to a triple-threat ladder match between the Young Bucks, FTR and Cope & Cage like Drake suggested, I am ALL IN. (See what I did there?)
The babyface Bucks should run in and cost FTR here, protecting the best tag-team in the world — yeah, I went there — while simultaneously giving us a potential all-time AEW moment with Cope and Cage winning their first tag-team championship together in 25 years.
Dansby: Cage and Cope — and yes, I still sometimes call them Edge and Christian — are clearly on borrowed time. Cope has been open about retirement being on the horizon, and winning the tag titles together feels like something they want to check off before that door closes.
That said, Dynasty doesn’t feel like the right stage for that payoff. Double or Nothing has historically carried more weight as a show, and if you’re going to close out a trilogy with FTR, it should feel big. Save the title win for a stipulation match there. A TLC match to end the feud and crown them champions would feel like the proper sendoff.
4. In the wake of the frontrunner for show of the year (Revolution) and weeks before AEW’s longest-running event, Double or Nothing, does Dynasty’s scheduling need changing?
Sulla-Heffinger: I tend to lean yes here, if only because so much of what I am thinking about is All In-based, rather than Double or Nothing. I’m sure this show will be great (almost every AEW show is at this point), but I do think having a bit more of a buffer would be a good thing. This is a good problem for AEW to have.
Dansby: Dynasty has settled into a pretty clear role. It’s usually a strong in-ring show with one notable twist, but mostly it serves as a bridge between Revolution and Double or Nothing.
This year feels no different. It would help to have a little more breathing room between these spring pay-per-views, but as long as the matches deliver, the tight schedule isn’t a dealbreaker. Not every show needs to feel massive. Sometimes it’s enough to keep the momentum going.
Jackman: I used to complain about AEW's lumpy pay-per-view schedule, but they seem to have made it work. It certainly didn't hold them back last year, which ended up being one of the strongest runs for the brand in ages (or maybe even ever).
You're right that Dynasty has less of a strong identity than Revolution or Double or Nothing, but I don't think that's a problem either.
Riggs: This feels like something that needs to be assessed after the show. As it currently stands, I would say no, especially with the card being so light on matches at the time of writing. That's a nice move.
And considering what's on tap, it may be the perfect dessert after an epic like Revolution, while simultaneously wetting the palate for Double or Nothing.
Predictions
AEW World Championship: MJF (Dansby, Jackman) vs. Kenny Omega (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)
AEW Women’s Championship: Thekla (Dansby, Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Jamie Hayter (Riggs)
AEW World Tag Team Championship: FTR (Dansby) vs. Cage and Cope (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)
AEW Continental Championship: Jon Moxley (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Will Ospreay (Dansby, Riggs)
Andrade El Idolo (Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Darby Allin (Jackman)
Chris Jericho (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Ricochet (Dansby)
Young Bucks (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita
Alex Windsor (Jackman, Riggs) vs. Marina Shafir (Dansby, Sulla-Heffinger)
2026 standings
Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 11-9
Robert Jackman: 10-10
Drake Riggs: 10-10
Kel Dansby: 9-11
