10 Best Moments In AEW History
AEW: quite possibly the best promotion ever at its peak.
itself that the very good stuff sometimes feels like a step down. That is a ridiculous thing about which to complain - but that is how awesome AEW is at its very best.
The best example of this is the first All In: London.
In 2023, AEW ran Wembley Stadium, with quite possibly the most wrestling fans ever packed into one building - and it remains an honourable mention. The show was merely very good, flawed in that it almost doubled as a prelude to All Out the following week, but the vibes were impeccable and the quality was sky-high at its peak.
Sting pounding his chest and no-selling the Young Bucks Superkick Party at the first Forbidden Door. Almost everything Darby Allin has done. Hangman Page drinking Swerve Strickland’s blood. Swerve Strickland stapling his own body and laughing.
Will Ospreay Vs. Bryan Danielson! The Bryan Danielson Vs. Ricky Starks strap match! Stadium Stampede I! CM Punk Vs. Eddie Kingston! The First Dance! The first Parking Lot Fight! Cody’s Ellis Island promo!
This list, genuinely and very easily, could reach 100. At least.
But the very best 10…?
10. The Closing Angle Of The Very First Dynamite
In the first ever AEW Dynamite match, Cody Rhodes, after defeating Sammy Guevara in a deafening good-time, extended his hand.
Foreshadowing the main event angle - and illustrating what would become AEW’s signature level of detail - Guevara shrugged. In plain sight, he did so in the exact manner Chris Jericho had after winning the AEW World title at the inaugural All Out.
In the main event, Jon Moxley, in a wonderfully violent narrative overlap, took Kenny Omega out of the Elite’s match against Jericho, Santana and Ortiz. After the heels won, Guevara solidified his heel turn, summoning Dustin Rhodes to equalise what had descended into a chaotic brawl. Then, the somewhat unfashionable Jake Hager - who, mercifully, had never looked more motivated - arrived to destroy Dustin. The formation of the Inner Circle was an important booking masterstroke.
This wild, unexpected angle positioned Dynamite as a different, well thought-out show with real flair and proper wrestling energy. The scene - in addition to building key matches ahead of Full Gear - also yielded countless potential singles, tags, trios and 10-man tags.
A true ‘here to stay’ declaration, this narrative big bang of a segment built instant trust in the long-term process.