25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2020
19. AEW Stupidly Hypes An “Empty Arena Match”
Jake Hager looked like the man on the debut episode of AEW Dynamite in late-2019. Chris Jericho brought the former Jack Swagger in as his heater (the Diesel to his Shawn Michaels, if you like), and it was a role well-suited to the big guy. Sadly, he was never as compelling in-ring as he'd be as a bodyguard, and the 15 April 2020 Dynamite proved it.
That show saw Jon Moxley defend his AEW World Title vs. Hager in what was billed as an “Empty Arena No Holds Barred Match”. The catch? Well, arenas were empty because All Elite management had no choice. The world was in the midst of a pandemic, and that meant fans couldn't attend events at all.
Thus, the whole "Empty Arena" thing looked a bit laughable. Every match was like that!
Also, the brawl went way, way, way too long. Not only was the branding silly, but it exposed just how dull Hager was capable of being when he wasn’t just acting as a heavy for Jericho and the rest of the Inner Circle. This was not a banner moment for Moxley as he visibly toiled when trying to squeeze something interesting out of Jake.
Some critics were kind to this bout at the time, but they really need to go back and watch it again. AEW hyping the whole "Empty Arena" thing like it was a selling point mid-global pandemic only made them look foolish, and Hager was woefully overexposed in such a lengthy setting against someone who really needed better opponents.
Not 2020's worst moment, but it deserves a place on the list.