AEW Dynamite Was Good… So Why Does Forbidden Door Feel Cold?

AEW Dynamite Was Good… So Why Does Forbidden Door Feel Cold?

This week on Elite Heat, Tim and Doug debut a new segment: The Heat Check: a quick-hit rundown of what worked, what was mid, and what absolutely did not land on AEW Dynamite. The guys break down a strong in-ring night for AEW, including MJF vs. Rush, “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Kevin Knight, and a main event banger between Will Ospreay and Mark Davis. They also dig into the bigger stories coming out of the show: Kevin Knight joining the Don Callis Family, Mercedes Moné returning as the Owen Hart Tournament wild card, Mark Briscoe making his case for a world title shot, and whether AEW is doing enough to build toward Forbidden Door. Plus: Thekla declares war on STARDOM, Ciampa channels Jericho’s greatest hits, the Young Bucks roast the Dogs, and the guys try to figure out where Hangman Adam Page fits into all of this. In this episode: * MJF vs. Rush delivers but did the stipulation hurt more than help? * Why Andrade felt underused on this episode * Mark Briscoe’s promo and whether he feels like a true world title challenger * Lio Rush continues to be interesting, but what is AEW actually doing with him? * Kevin Knight joins the Don Callis Family: smart move or unnecessary? * Mercedes Moné returns, but did Alex Windsor take another tough loss? * Thekla, STARDOM, and the problem with assuming fans know the whole story * Will Ospreay vs. Mark Davis steals the show * Death Riders vs. Don Callis Family: AEW’s strongest current story? * When is AEW actually going to start building Forbidden Door? Like what you hear? Subscribe, like, review, and most importantly SHARE the show with your wrestling friends! Follow us on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social]

AEW’s Double or Nothing Fallout Felt… Weird

AEW is coming off one of its strongest pay-per-views ever… so why did the follow-up feel a little weird? On this episode of Elite Heat, Tim and Dug break down the post-Double or Nothing three-hour Dynamite/Collision hybrid, including what worked, what felt rushed, and why AEW’s biggest storylines may be shifting in surprising directions. Kevin Knight steps into the spotlight after turning on Speedball Mike Bailey, Kyle Fletcher continues to feel like a major player, MJF begins shaping his World Championship reign, and Cope & Christian bring back some serious Edge & Christian nostalgia. Plus, we get into the latest on the AEW women’s division, the confusingly fast Statlander/Shida blowoff, the ongoing mystery around Forbidden Door, and why some major absences made this show feel stranger than it probably should have. Topics include: * Kevin Knight’s heel turn and promo * Kyle Fletcher, Takeshita, and the Don Callis Family * MJF’s championship celebration * Cope & Christian’s five-second pose callback * Statlander vs. Shida in a Philly Street Fight * The lack of direction for the AEW women’s division * Will Ospreay and the Death Riders * Pac’s subtle tension with Ospreay * Mark Davis vs. Jack Perry * Jericho, Ricochet, and Tommaso Ciampa * Early Forbidden Door questions * Could Hangman Adam Page return soon? Like what you hear? Subscribe, like, review, and most importantly SHARE the show with your wrestling friends! Follow us on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social] * (00:08) - Marker 01

Double Or Nothing 2026 Was Basically Perfect

AEW Double or Nothing delivered one of the strongest pay-per-views we’ve seen...possibly EVER, and we’re breaking down why it worked from top to bottom. Smart pacing, a red-hot New York crowd, strong in-ring storytelling, major post-match angles, and multiple matches that are in the Match of the Year conversation. From Okada vs. Takeshita stealing the show, to MJF and Darby Allin delivering an incredible main event, to Kyle Fletcher’s shocking return and Kevin Knight’s stunning heel turn, this episode is packed. We also get into: Okada vs. Takeshita as a possible Match of the Year MJF defeating Darby Allin and what it means for the title picture Kevin Knight’s shocking turn and what comes next Will Ospreay’s evolution Swerve vs. Bandido exceeding expectations The ongoing issues with AEW’s women’s division Thekla, Jamie Hayter, Mercedes Moné speculation, and the Owen Stadium Stampede chaos, cameos, and where everyone should go next Why AEW nailed PPV pacing and storytelling Like what you hear? Subscribe, like, review, and most importantly SHARE the show with your wrestling friends! Follow us on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social]

AEW Double or Nothing Go-Home Show: Good Show, Weak Build?

AEW packed three hours of wrestling into the final stop before Double or Nothing, but did the go-home show actually make us more excited for the pay-per-view? This week on Elite Heat, Tim and Dug break down the AEW Dynamite/Collision hybrid, including the latest build to Darby Allin vs. MJF, the growing mystery around whether Darby’s body can hold up, and why the World Championship match might be one of AEW’s most unpredictable title matches in a while. We also dig into Speedball Mike Bailey vs. Darby Allin, MJF’s role on commentary, the strange direction of the women’s division, Willow Nightingale vacating the TBS Championship, and who could be the surprise wildcard in the Owen Hart Tournament. Plus, we talk Samoa Joe vs. Will Ospreay, whether the Stadium Stampede build has enough stakes, Swerve and Bandido finding some heat, FTR’s go-home story with Cope and Christian, Rush calling his shot, Divine Dominion’s squash run, and why AEW may have played things safe to avoid more injuries before Double or Nothing. Was this a bad AEW show? Not really. Was it a disappointing go-home show by AEW standards? That’s the real question. Topics include: AEW Double or Nothing preview  Darby Allin vs. MJF  Hair vs. Title match  Speedball Mike Bailey vs. Darby Allin  Will Ospreay vs. Samoa Joe  Swerve Strickland vs. Bandido  Willow Nightingale injury update  TBS Championship vacancy  Owen Hart Tournament wildcard predictions  Mercedes Moné AEW speculation  AEW women’s division booking  Stadium Stampede build  FTR vs. Cope and Christian  Rush calling out the AEW World Champion  Divine Dominion dominance  AEW go-home show review Like what you hear? Subscribe, like, review, and most importantly SHARE the show with your wrestling friends! Follow us on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social]

Bangers, Brackets, & Brain Itches: MJF’s Hair, Darby’s Title, & a Hangman Problem?

This week on Elite Heat, Tim and Dug break down a loaded episode of AEW Dynamite as the road to Double or Nothing gets more interesting, more chaotic, and somehow more confusing in all the right ways. We dig into Darby Allin’s wild run as AEW World Champion, the hair-versus-title stipulation with MJF, and why this match suddenly feels way less predictable than it did a few weeks ago. Is Darby really going to keep the title? Is MJF actually going to lose his hair? And could Hangman Adam Page be the key to blowing the whole thing wide open? We also talk about why Will Ospreay and the Death Riders might be AEW’s most interesting story right now, even if we still have no idea where it’s going. Plus, we break down the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Tournament brackets, the return of Brian Cage, another banger from Will Ospreay vs. Ace Austin, the messy state of AEW’s women’s division, and why the Stadium Stampede match could be ridiculous in the best possible way. Also discussed: * AEW’s obsession with 10-man tags * Christian Cage doing some of the best work of his career *  Why Cope still feels like Edge *  Speedball Mike Bailey stacking wins *  JetSpeed tension brewing? *  Swerve, Bandido, Brody King, Samoa Joe, and the Owen bracket *  Sky Blue as a possible Owen winner *  Thunder Rosa’s random return *  Hikaru Shida’s confusing but interesting character direction *  Darby vs. Takeshita absolutely ruling *  Our Double or Nothing title match predictions Listen now and let us know: Is Darby Allin the right AEW World Champion, or is MJF taking the title back at Double or Nothing? Like what you hear? Subscribe, like, review, and most importantly SHARE the show with your wrestling friends! Follow us on social media! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.youtube.com/@eliteheatpod] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.instagram.com/eliteheatpod] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@eliteheatpod] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod [https://www.facebook.com/eliteheatpod] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/eliteheatpod.bsky.social]