25 Best Wrestling Moments Of 2025

12. The Conclusion To AEW Spring Breakthru

AEW Dynamite Spring BreakThru Samoa Joe Jon Moxley
AEW

AEW Spring Breakthru in and of itself probably warrants inclusion here. A TV special that might as well have been titled ‘Eat Sh*t, Eric Bischoff’, it was held to celebrate Dynamite outlasting WCW Nitro.

Mercedes Mone Vs. Athena was a superb opener, brimming with ideas and prolonged, agonising suspense. Hangman Page Vs. Josh Alexander was a creative twist on the debut; Alexander was booked to flop before being taken on by Don Callis. This happens a lot in real sports; why not the sports-oriented wrestling promotion?

Will Ospreay Vs. Konosuke Takeshita II was an extravagantly great match, a giddy celebration that we get this stuff on TV for free these days, and the Hurt Syndicate/MJF angle was much-needed entertainment value respite from the heavy in-ring action.

The conclusion of the main event was the stuff, though. The Opps challenged for the Trios titles held by the Death Riders. This felt like a familiar scene; yet more Death Riders dominance with All In: Texas several pay-per-views away.

PAC suffered an injury, and was replaced by Jon Moxley: invincible and deeply unpopular World champion. In a booking masterstroke, Mox volunteered to take the pin. This was several levels of inspired. It was a total shocker that disrupted the very predictable patterns of Dynamite. It summoned an atmosphere of jubilation on the perfect night for it.

And, this one dent in Mox’s armour allowed people to believe that a bayface could reclaim AEW from him - and this belief fuelled the long, hopeful build to All In, which was AEW’s best stretch of programming since the cursed spring of 2022.

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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!