10 Worst AEW Matches Ever (According To The Internet)

8. Madison Rayne Vs. Tay Melo - October 28, 2022 (2.31)

Britt Baker
AEW

ThIs wasn't a calamity, but it was rubbish.

The rating is strange, and probably harsh. It was a supbar wrestling match riddled with clichés, but nobody got lost and nobody's nose was broken. The fans couldn't care less, but that's par for the course, sadly, in AEW's women's division, which is apparently booked with a roll of the eyes and "Can't bloody not in 2023, it's political correctness gone mad".

It was bobbins, to be clear. A tepid and overlong match, in which nothing looked even remotely painful, worked at a glacial pace. Several moves missed by miles. That's an exaggeration - you couldn't quite use Lanny Poffo's appendage to measure the distance between the move and the intended target - but the selling was unconvincing as it gets.

What's worse were the constant, constant NXT Faces. It's bad enough when a wrestler with an established signature does it, but after the most gentle neckbreaker you've ever seen in your life?

Even Shawn Michaels would have told them it was a bit much.

Actually, that's too hyperbolic, sorry.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!