Jon Moxley has successfully defended the AEW Continental Championship against Will Ospreay at Dynasty in Vancouver, but the victory came at significant cost for both men in what was one of the most physically punishing matches on the card. The bout lived up to every expectation set by the deeply personal rivalry that has been building since Ospreay returned from neck surgery at AEW Revolution and immediately targeted Moxley.
Ospreay came out strong, delivering two back-to-back Hidden Blades in the early stages that momentarily had the champion in serious trouble. Moxley eventually recovered and made the calculated decision to target Ospreay’s neck — the very body part that had kept Ospreay sidelined for months and the source of the most vulnerability in his physical condition. It was a clinical piece of ring psychology from the Death Rider, exploiting the one weakness that no amount of determination and preparation could fully protect against.
Jon Moxley’s Jumping Piledriver on the Steel Steps Produced One of Dynasty’s Most Dramatic Near-Finishes
The most dramatic moment came when Moxley delivered a jumping piledriver on the steel steps, a devastating move that started a referee count with Ospreay outside the ring. The crowd held its collective breath as Ospreay — somehow — made it back to the ring to break the count, producing one of Dynasty’s most memorable near-finish sequences. Moxley ultimately found a way to put Ospreay away and retain the Continental Championship, continuing what has been one of the most dominant title reigns in AEW in recent memory. The victory does not diminish the threat Ospreay poses — if anything, surviving him in Vancouver only adds to the legend of Moxley’s reign.