All Elite Wrestling closes out 2025 with one of its biggest shows of the year.
AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on TBS and streams on HBO Max, bringing championship matches, championship eliminator bouts, and the fallout from last weekend’s explosive Worlds End pay-per-view.
Fresh off reclaiming his throne, newly crowned AEW World Champion MJF will address the wrestling world from Omaha.
Three titles hang in the balance tonight, with Mercedes Moné defending her record-breaking TBS Championship reign against Willow Nightingale, who pinned her just days ago at Worlds End.
MJF Returns as Two-Time AEW World Champion
Nearly two years after losing the AEW World Title, Maxwell Jacob Friedman recaptured championship gold this past Saturday at Worlds End.
MJF pinned Samoa Joe—the same man who took that title from him back in 2023—in a 4-Way Match that also included “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland. The victory marks MJF’s second reign as AEW World Champion and sets the stage for what promises to be a must-see promo tonight.
What will the now two-time champion have to say as he kicks off 2025 with gold around his waist? Fans in Omaha and watching at home are about to find out.
Mercedes Moné Defends Record-Breaking TBS Title Against Willow Nightingale
TBS Champion Mercedes Moné faces perhaps her toughest challenge in 584 days when she defends against Willow Nightingale tonight.
Nightingale pinned Moné at Worlds End during a successful first defense of her AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship as part of The Babes of Wrath. That pin lit a fire under Moné, who personally challenged Nightingale to tonight’s championship match, saying she wants to “beat Nightingale’s ass.”
For Willow, this represents a golden opportunity—literally. She lost the TBS Championship to Moné at Double or Nothing last year, which began The CEO’s historic reign. Can Nightingale reclaim what was once hers and send Moné’s spiral into overdrive?
Or will Moné prove why she’s held that title for over 580 days and counting?
Jon Moxley Faces Don Callis Family Member in Continental Eliminator
Fresh off defeating Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada at Worlds End to become the new AEW Continental Champion, Jon Moxley gets no rest.
Tonight, Moxley faces “The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander in a Continental Championship Eliminator match. Continental Rules apply—meaning no outside interference—and if Alexander wins or survives the 20-minute time limit, he earns a future title shot.
This marks Moxley’s third encounter with a Don Callis Family member since Worlds End began. Having already conquered two of wrestling’s best in Fletcher and The Rainmaker, can Moxley fend off Alexander in their first-ever meeting?
Or will Alexander prove he belongs in title contention by lasting the distance or pulling off an upset victory?
Ricochet Defends AEW National Championship Against Jungle Jack Perry
AEW National Champion Ricochet puts his title on the line against “Jungle” Jack Perry tonight after Perry pinned him at Worlds End Zero Hour.
During the pre-show’s 8-Man Tag Match, Ricochet and GOA attacked Perry and Luchasaurus before the bell, attempting to take Jurassic Express out before the match even started. Both Perry and Luchasaurus fought through the pain, with Perry securing the pinfall victory over Ricochet himself.
That momentum carries Perry into tonight’s championship opportunity—his first one-on-one challenge for Ricochet’s National Championship. Perry hasn’t held AEW gold since November of last year, making tonight a crucial moment in his singles career.
Will Perry capture championship gold to close out 2025? Or will Ricochet successfully defend and prove his pre-match attack strategy simply delayed the inevitable?
How to Watch AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash
AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash airs tonight, December 31, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on TBS and streams simultaneously on HBO Max.
With three championship matches, an eliminator bout, and the newly crowned AEW World Champion ready to speak, tonight’s show promises to close out the year with championship drama and high-stakes action from Omaha.