Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita were once best friends, but since AEW Double or Nothing 2026, the two had been enemies. The two men looked to settle the score at the Beach Break edition of “AEW Dynamite” where Takeshita put his AEW International Championship on the line against “The Protostar,” but after a hard-hitting bout under the humid Florida sky, it was Fletcher who emerged victorious as the new champion.
Both men were evenly matched in the early going as they countered each other’s counters and blocked each other’s strikes. Takeshita would end up getting the early advantage after hitting the Takeshita Line, but a series of stiff kicks and boots from Fletcher sent the action to the outside. Takeshita would briefly get back into things when Fletcher got too distracted by drinking some water, but Takeshita would also get distracted by Don Callis and ended up elbowing the ring post, before being drove into the apron by Fletcher.
Fletcher would target the right arm of Takeshita but that wouldn’t last as the champion still had enough strength to hit an Exploder Suplex and a Tope Con Hilo to the outside as the match entered the commercial break. During the break, both men had moments where they looked to be on top once again as Fletcher was sent into the front row from a big boot, but Takeshita was taken down when the action returned to the ring. Coming out of the break, Takeshita hit an Avalanche Brainbuster that resulted in a double down.
Both men exchanged strikes when they got back to their feet and pulled out some big moves, with Fletcher countering the Takeshita Line with a Superkick, and Takeshita hitting the Blue Thunder Bomb. Fletcher tried to create some distance by moving to the apron, but Takeshita followed him out and planted Fletcher on his neck before hitting a Wheelbarrow Suplex on the apron. He tried to follow it up with a Power Drive Knee but Fletcher countered it into a Michinoku Driver for a two-count. The action returned to the top rope as Fletcher went for an Avalanche Brainbuster of his own but Takeshita countered into a Powerbomb of his own.
Don Callis came over to distract Takeshita, but he was still able to hit the Raging Fire that only got a two-count as Fletcher got his foot on the ropes. The champion went for a Power Drive Knee which only led to a Backslide exchange that Fletcher got the better of as he rolled through to kick the injured arm of Takeshita. Fletcher then hit a Brainbuster in the ring, and a Brainbuster on the turnbuckle to finally put Takeshita away and become the new AEW International Champion.
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