9 Ups & 9 Downs For AEW In 2022

6. AEW Is Still THE Destination For Blow-Away In-Ring

In which other promotion would you see a wrestler blade their own titty to get a pop?

That isn't even facetious, either: the incredible Chris Jericho Vs. Tomohiro Ishii match illustrated the brilliance that remains at AEW's core. It was a brutal, white-hot clash in which the defiant body language was as effective as the gruesome body horror. At its best, AEW is a glorious collaboration of styles and ideas, and Jericho's carny North American genius meshed beautifully in a surreally great way with Ishii's peerless embodiment of strong style. This thrilling exchange of vision is at the heart of AEW. FTR, in the second match of a glorious and yet still elusive series, grounded the high-flying Young Bucks with the counter of the year.

Keith Lee, Wardlow Powerhouse Hobbs - and, f*ck yes, Satnam Singh - made a sicko early '90s squash connoisseur blush at times. Jon Moxley worked himself to Wrestler and Match Of The Year with his high-intensity bloodbath style in which there was no corny, fake-feeling gristle to chew on. The Elite and the Dark Order worked a phenomenal Trios title match at All Out, before everybody was made to forget about it, that incorporated deep layering of story within the lung-bursting action.

AEW, already one of the best promotions ever in terms of high-end output, is so consistently great that it has almost spoiled the audience; a week in which a ****+ match doesn't happen is considered a let-down, even, at this point, a failure.