Kyle O’Reilly opens up following AEW Dynasty title win
At AEW Dynasty in Vancouver, Canada, Kyle O’Reilly made his much-awaited return following a neck injury.
Tagging alongside Roderick Strong and Orange Cassidy, O’Reilly proceeded to trap Clark Connors in an ankle lock and tap him out to secure the titles for his team.
Hours after his championship victory, AEW released backstage footage from Dynasty showcasing O’Reilly’s emotional championship win moment. The video began with O’Reilly reflecting on Rogers Arena and his history with the building.
“My dad brought me here to a show, and since that moment, I knew this is something that I had to do. So now I’m here. I’m in Vancouver at Rogers Arena, and I’m about to make my return, and it’s been an emotional roller coaster the last month or so. And my father passed away about 2 weeks ago. So, the weight of that on my shoulders, the weight of coming back to wrestle, I’m feeling it all, man. Nothing in life is guaranteed,” O’Reilly noted. He then proceeds to express his gratitude and not take anything for granted.
The video gradually progresses to the end of the night, where O’Reilly won the titles for his team. A visibly emotional O’Reilly is seen backstage with his teammates and AEW President Tony Khan. Wanting to recover from his loss to Adam Copeland in front of his father, O’Reilly claimed that he wanted to have his father see his title-winning moment.
“I wish dad could have seen that. Thank you [to Tony Khan] for giving me a second [inaudible],” O’Reilly claimed.
“Since teaming with these guys, the thing that I’ve learned the most is that when my friends are count on me, I refuse to give up. I’m so willing to give up on myself sometimes, but when I got my friends counting on me, man, there ain’t nothing that’s going to stop me. These guys have built me up and tragic loss of my father. I mean, friends are who pick you up off the ground and support you, help you achieve a dream. This is the first championship win in Kyle O’Reilly’s AEW career, and I couldn’t be more proud to have his teammates,” O’Reilly shared.
“Being by your side as long as I have been. And I know I continuously tell you, but you are just the strongest, most thoughtful human being I’ve ever met. And I know your parents are so proud of you. And they were watching you tonight. And you helped us become champions. I can’t thank you enough,” Strong opened up to O’Reilly after the match.
With Gabe Kidd of The Dogs now out injured, there are currently no announced plans for O’Reilly’s title match.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
Shounak takes particular interest in soccer, closely following top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal. Beyond sports, he enjoys fiction writing, photography, gaming, and cinema.