12 Times AEW Was Better Than Literally EVERYTHING

6. When The Roster Got STACKED

AEW Sting
AEW

AEW’s roster, at various points and in totality, is the best ever assembled. 

Kenny Omega, the best big match worker ever, solidified that case in AEW in unforgettable wars against Will Ospreay, Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page. Bryan Danielson, the best worker ever, enjoyed his best-ever run of matches in the promotion. Almost everything he did was genius. His Dynamite match against Rush was one of the most disgusting, frenzied brawls in modern wrestling history - and it wasn’t even his best AEW match involving blood. 

Hangman Page evolved into a modern great in AEW, with his unparalleled attention to detail and frightening commitment. Will Ospreay’s 2024 was an absurd collection of state-of-the-art dream matches. CM Punk, in contrast, delivered much in the way of elegant, stripped-back craft. The Young Bucks, kings of pay-per-view, made fans believe the finish wasn’t false about 100 times in countless matches. 

MJF reached these stratospheric levels when he wasn’t trying to do too much. Swerve Strickland ascended to the tier of Best In The World from 2023 onwards. Jon Moxley, when motivated, felt like a real hero and the most imposing ‘big bad’, depending on which role he played. Toni Storm eventually became the most over wrestler in the company irrespective of gender in early 2025. 

And the supporting cast more closely resembles the best wrestling festival ever than a mere roster of talent. The range and quality of talent is silly. Kris Statlander. FTR. Powerhouse Hobbs. Kyle Fletcher. Darby Allin. Bandido. Kazuchika Okada. Eddie Kingston. Hikaru Shida. Jamie Hayter. He’s unfashionable now, but AEW got the best out of the legendary Chris Jericho for three mostly glorious years.

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!