Swerve Strickland Punches Ticket To AEW Men's Owen Hart Tournament Finals

The Summer Blockbuster edition of "AEW Dynamite" concluded with the second semi-final in the men's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament between Swerve Strickland and Brody King. Strickland got the better of King back at AEW Revolution 2026 and King was hoping to get his win back in Cincinnati, Ohio, but in the end, Strickland was the man who had his hand raised, and will face Will Ospreay in the final of the tournament at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on June 28.

Things quickly spilled out to the floor in the early going as King hit a Cannonball off the ramp, but when King went to hit a Crossbody on a prone Strickland, Prince Nana intervened long enough to let Strickland gather his bearings and hit a Drop Toe Hold into a steel chair. Strickland would keep control of the match throughout the commercial break, even getting into the face of referee Aubrey Edwards when took advantage of the referee's five count in the corner.

Coming out of the break and King got himself back into the match, connecting with a number of strikes in the corner. However, Strickland got himself out of trouble with a Back Superplex. Strickland even countered a Powerbomb into a Swerve Stomp but it wasn't enough to keep King down, and when the action went to the outside again, King countered and finally hit the Powerbomb he was looking for, this time on the announce table. Strickland would kick out and the two men would exchange moves in an attempt to gain the upper hand.

Strickland eventually got the advantage when King went head-first into the exposed turnbuckle which busted him open. Strickland hit two House Calls but King wouldn't go down, and King would fire up with a Death Valley Driver into the corner, a Cannonball, and a Piledriver but only got a near fall. King went for the Gonzo Bomb but Strickland escaped, and after a cheap shot from Nana on the outside, Strickland hit King with the Vertebreaker to get the win and advance to the tournament final.