AEW WrestleDream 2026: Preview, Match Card

Will Ospreay Ricky Havlik - All Elite Wrestling

AEW WrestleDream 2026: Preview, Match Card

Originally posted on The Takedown on SI | By Rick Ucchino | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 9:32 PM ET

Orlando, Florida, is closing in on hosting the fourth annual AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view, and history will be made that Saturday night as Will Ospreay defends his AEW Men's World Championship in the very first Clockwork Carnage Match.

A brain child of the Aerial Assassin himself, Clockwork Carnage will feature eight different men vying for the top prize in the company.

The match will take place in two stages. Two wrestlers will start, with a new competitor entering the fray every three minutes. If a wrestler is pinned or they submit during this stage, then they are eliminated from the match.

#AEWWrestleDream LIVE on PPV
CLOCKWORK CARNAGE for the AEW World Title
8 wrestlers/2 stages/1 winner.
Stage 1: Entrants every 3 mins, who can be eliminated by pin/submission.
Stage 2: Once all 8 enter, they fight in a 15-min scoring period. Wrestler w/ most falls leaves Champion! pic.twitter.com/jRlpkZthmX
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 4, 2026

Once all eight competitors have been introduced, Clockwork Carnage will move into a 15-minute scoring period. Whoever has the most pinfall or submission victories by the time the clock strikes zero will be crowned the AEW Men's World Champion.

Will Ospreay and Samoa Joe both punched their tickets to Orlando at AEW Grand Slam France, with more qualifying matches set to take place in the coming days.

The AEW Women's World Championship will also be on the line at WrestleDream as Mercedes Moné takes on the former champion Thekla, who earned this opportunity by defeating Willow Nightingale in a No. 1 Contender's Match last month at All Out.

There are four other title matches on the card as well, as Jon Moxley, The Young Bucks, The Brawling Birds and Swerve Strickland & The New Level will all defend their respective championships in the Theme Park Capital of the World.

Here's everything we currently know about AEW WrestleDream 2026. Check back for updates as more matches are expected to be announced ahead of the show, and the card is always subject to change.

AEW WrestleDream date:

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026

AEW WrestleDream start time:

Start time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

AEW WrestleDream location:

Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida

How To Watch AEW WrestleDream:

Streaming: HBO Max, Prime Video, PPV.com, Fubo, and YouTube in the United States and internationally on MyAEW.com.

AEW WrestleDream card (announced):

Ricky Havlik - All Elite Wrestling

8-Man Clockwork Carnage Match for the AEW Men's World Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD

Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Thekla for the AEW Women's World Champion

Two Out of Three Falls Match for the AEW World Trios Championship: Swerve Strickland & The New Level (c) vs. "Hangman" Adam Page, Brody King and Bandido