After failing to win the AEW World Championship, Kevin Knight brought back the AEW TNT Championship tradition of hosting an open challenge on the May 13 episode of “AEW Dynamite.” However, “The Jet” did not anticipate the possibility of facing “The Machine” Brian Cage, who made his return to AEW after 14 months away from the ring due to a series of knee injuries. While the fans were happy to see Cage back in the ring, they were even happier to see Knight get the win and retain his title.

Given the size difference between the two men, Knight knew he had to use his speed to keep the advantage. With that said, Cage was too overwhelming in the early going, brushing off chops and strikes, and when Knight went for a Tope Suicida, Cage just swatted the champion out of mid-air and sent him into the apron with an F-10 as the match entered the commercial break. During the break, it was all Cage as he used his strength to keep the champion grounded, and bringing the match down to his pace.

Coming out of the break, Cage hit a Neckbreaker for a two count which he tired to follow up with a Suplex, but Knight created enough space to hit a Springboard Drop Kick for a double down. Another Drop Kick sent Cage out of the ring, but when Knight went for a Tope Con Hilo, Cage caught him in a Powerbomb position. However, Knight countered it with a Hurricanrana into the steps, and followed up with a Lariat off the apron, with “Speedball” Mike Bailey taking out Lance Archer on the outside.

Cage brought Knight back in the ring with a Superplex, but Knight was able to land a DDT for a near fall. This then led to Cage going up top with Knight trying to hit a Hurricanrana but lost his grip in the process. That didn’t stop Cage from dragging Knight back up for a Powerbomb attempt, which Knight countered into a top rope Hurricanrana, and he followed that up with a UFO Splash for the victory. After the match, Bailey took to the microphone to declare that he wants the winner of the AEW World Championship match between Darby Allin and Konosuke Takeshita.

After finding success as a young amateur wrestler, Shelton Benjamin accepted an offer to join the WWE system in 2000, spending a couple of years in developmental before joining the main roster at the end of 2002. In Benjamin’s early days, he was in a tag team with Charlie Haas, and the two of them spent a lot of time wrestling Eddie Guerrero. Speaking on “Marking Out with MVP,” Benjamin reflected on his friendship with the late WWE Hall of Famer.

“Eddie Guerrero taught me and Charlie how to work,” Benjamin said. “There’s a difference between being a good wrestler and a good worker. A good wrestler can do moves and things like that. A good worker can make you believe in anything they’re doing.”

Benjamin recalled wrestling Guerrero at a live event, when the late performer spotted a wrench outside the ring and made the decision to work it into their match. Without any prior planning, the wrestlers made the prop a key part of their performance, and Benjamin believes that night serves as one example of Guerrero’s genius.

The wrestler also recalled himself and Haas having a hard time tracking down Eddie and his nephew and tag partner, Chavo, before their matches. Benjamin and Haas had just come out of developmental and wanted to plan the details of their matches, but Eddie and Chavo preferred improvisation.

After spending some time working together, the four men had a conversation backstage where Eddie accused Benjamin and Haas of bringing down their matches. Benjamin asked Guerrero to teach them instead of getting angry, causing Guerrero to realize he needed to be a better leader, and their relationship improved from there.

“All the ‘lie, cheat, and steal’ stuff – he was developing it when he was tagging against me and Charlie, so those were the spots we were blowing,” Benjamin continued. “Once we knew what it was, it got to the point where [after] a few weeks of kind of learning how to work it, and then the next eight months, we never talked; we just went to the ring and worked. It was magic.”

Over the next several years, the two developed a strong bond, with Guerrero once giving Benjamin “permission” to pull him out of his depressive episodes when he was struggling not to use drugs or drink.

A new social media post from former WWE World Tag Team Champion Dragon Lee had fans speculating about his status with the company, but it seems as though Lee is posting about his return following a possible injury. Lee took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday to post a simple message, which sent some fans spiraling in his replies after WWE’s crop of post-WrestleMania departures and reported pay-cuts.

Lee simply posted, “2-3 weeks” with no further explanation, but Cory Hays, formerly of BodySlam, followed that up with a quote-post of his own. According to Hays, there was word after WWE WrestleMania 42 that Lee had been banged up in the six-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Hays said he believed that’s what Lee’s initial post could be related to.

The word coming out of Mania was Dragon Lee was banged up. Might think this is related to that https://t.co/GfKTYYLFJv

— Cory (@Cory_Hays407) May 13, 2026

The ladder match saw Intercontinental Champion Penta successfully defend his gold against Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, Je’Von Evans, and Rey Mysterio in one of the opening matches on ESPN during night two of the event. If Lee suffered an injury during the match, there has been no word on what possible spot it happened on or what exactly he may have injured.

Lee hasn’t been seen in the ring on “WWE Raw” since WrestleMania, but commentary has not mentioned his absence. Prior to the ladder match, he teamed with Evans on the go-home episode to ‘Mania in a victory over McDonagh and Rusev. Lee had been wrestling consistently on the red brand, as well as “WWE Main Event” and in AAA, over the first four months of 2026.

A slew of “WWE NXT” talent have either recently been called up to the main roster, like Sol Ruca, Ethan Page, Fatal Influence, and more, or have already been working either “WWE Raw” or “WWE SmackDown” for months, making a splash like Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and Trick Williams. According to a new report, more names from the WWE Performance Center could soon be destined for the red and blue brands.

According to BodySlam+, more names are expected to be called up during the summer, though the outlet didn’t specify exactly when. The report indicated that only names from the women’s roster are currently being discussed for call-ups. BodySlam+ noted that any call-up plans remain tentative and could change as WWE goes forth into the summer, with WWE SummerSlam scheduled for August 1 and 2 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Current NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice has been rumored for a call-up, even after her championship victory over Jacy Jayne at NXT Stand & Deliver at the beginning of April. Another possible name who could join the main roster is former TNA Knockouts Champion Kelani Jordan, who is engaged to “SmackDown” star Carmelo Hayes, though Jordan wasn’t initially brought up in post-WrestleMania reports. Vice and Jordan are set to go one-on-one for the NXT Women’s title next week.

As for the recently called-up, now-former “NXT” talent, Blake Monroe is the only star still set to make her debut. The former Women’s North American Champion is set for the blue brand, and teasers for her arrival have aired over the last few weeks, saying she’s “coming soon.”

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s live coverage for “AEW Dynamite” on May 13, 2026, coming to you live from the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina!

Moments after Darby Allin successfully retained his AEW World Championship against TNT Champion Kevin Knight during last Wednesday’s “Dynamite” and “AEW Collision” special, MJF confronted Allin looking for a rematch. Allin told MJF that he would only agree to the match if MJF agreed to a Title vs. Hair Match, but Kazuchika Okada confronted Allin just moments after asking for a title shot of his own which Allin agreed to. Instead, Takeshita will be taking Okada’s place in tonight’s match, he will be challenging Allin for the AEW World Championship. MJF will also be making an appearance on tonight’s show with something on his mind to share, with the contract signing for his Title vs. Hair Match against Allin having been set for tonight as of last Wednesday.

The Demand’s Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona will be joining forces with The Don Callis Family to take on Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Jack Perry, and Kenny Omega of The Elite, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin of The Hurt Syndicate, and Jericho in a Stadium Stampede Match at AEW Double or Nothing. Elsewhere on the May 24 pay-per-view event, Christian Cage and Adam Copeland challenge FTR’s Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler for their AEW World Tag Team Championship in an I Quit match. Before both of those matches happen, FTR, their ally Tommaso Ciampa, and David Finlay, and Clark Connors of The Dogs will be going head-to-head with The Young Bucks, Orange Cassidy, Copeland, and Cage in a Ten Man Tag Team Match.

Will Ospreay will be in action tonight as he goes one-on-one with The Bang Bang Gang’s Ace Austin. Although Ospreay was previously unsuccessful in dethroning Jon Moxley as AEW Continental Champion at AEW Dynasty on April 12, he has sought out the help of Moxley and the rest of The Death Riders to train him over the last couple of weeks on “Dynamite”.

Additionally, the brackets for both the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournaments are set to be unveiled tonight.