AEW Dynamite featured a legendary surprise tonight, May 7, 2025, as ECW original Rhino made his debut for the promotion. The “Man Beast” arrived to challenge Nick Wayne for the ROH World Television Championship.
Unfortunately for the veteran powerhouse, his first outing in an AEW ring ended swiftly. Wayne secured a quick pinfall victory over Rhino using the Killswitch finisher made famous by his mentor Christian Cage.
This marked Wayne’s second successful defense of the ROH World Television Championship. While Rhino came up short in his AEW debut, his appearance adds him to a notable list of former ECW standouts who have graced an AEW ring, following names like Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and Raven.
Furthermore, fellow ECW alumni Jerry Lynn and Taz remain integral parts of AEW, serving in prominent backstage and commentary roles, respectively. Despite the loss, Rhino looks ahead to another championship opportunity; he is scheduled to challenge NWA World Heavyweight Champion Thomas Latimer at the NWA Crockett Cup event on May 17th. Rhino’s Dynamite appearance provided a nostalgic moment for long-time fans and added another layer of veteran presence to the AEW landscape.