10 Best Wrestling PPVs Of 2019
2. AEW Double Or Nothing
AEW Double Or Nothing was a great show, and it was a special show. The upstart company delivered an all-timer at the very first attempt - a record, surely - and in doing so, created so much promise about the future of mainstream pro wrestling in North America. That promise was delivered upon across four hours of eclectic, expressive and emotional action.
The opener, pitting SCU against CIMA, T-Hawk and El Lindaman, previewed the company's exhilarating in-house style and introduced a new audience to the welcoming charisma of its veteran three-man unit. The women's matches ranged in quality from good to excellent; the joshi six-woman in particular was a thrilling, charming bruiser the likes of which U.S. wrestling barely promotes. The undercard of AEW's prospective doubles division announced itself via the Best Friends Vs. Hybrid 2 in a quietly inspired attraction: even the filler seemed unmissable.
Cody Vs. Dustin Rhodes was profound in its emotion and euphoric in its ability to rebuild ground thought forever broken. This unbearable, blood-soaked storytelling masterclass - an unforgettable epic of atonement, in so many senses of the word - evoked actual tears in the MGM Grand.
The Young Bucks used ring rust as a storytelling mechanism, ingeniously, in an advanced story match that doubled as an exhilarating feat of spellbinding athleticism, while Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho straight f*cked one another up in an understated, physical main event war.
A celebration of and introduction to a new, necessary product, Double Or Nothing wasn't just special: it was vital.