AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming - Every Match Ranked Worst To Best

On a huge night for AEW, which matches delivered?

by Andrew Pollard
Darby Allin Ricky Starks AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming
AEW

While anticipation was high for this week's Winter is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite, nobody could have predicted that the show's much-hyped main event would be joined by the debut of Sting and that Kenny Omega would be heading off to IMPACT Wrestling next week.

Going into Winter is Coming, this felt like a truly huge show for AEW, and this episode now feels even bigger after seeing how this week's Dynamite played out. Without any sense of hyperbole, this could be an episode of wrestling television that is looked back on as a turning point for the industry.

Even if he's unable to get physical, the name value and star power of Sting is enough to bring new eyes to AEW. But more than that, the potential of a fully formed working relationship between AEW and IMPACT Wrestling could be a real game-changer that throws up so many possibilities.

Not only did Winter is Coming have some amazing moments, it also had some amazing matches, to boot. With just five matches on the card this time out, let's have a look at how those matches stacked up - from worst to best.

5. Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale

Darby Allin Ricky Starks AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming
AEW

Throughout AEW's short lifespan, we've seen some absolutely belting battle royals and we've likewise some utter stinkers. Thankfully, this Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale offering was a fun affair that helped progress several different AEW story strands.

At a brisk 12 minutes, the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale was an entertaining watch that gave several wrestlers their chance to shine. Was it a little predictable? In some ways, yes, but predictability isn't always a bad thing.

We all assumed there'd be further Inner Circle tensions between MJF and Sammy Guevara, we all expected some Miro dominance, and we all expected Orange Cassidy to be there or thereabouts when the bout came to a close. Seeing Adam Page eliminated so relatively early was a little jarring, but it again throws up intrigue of where Page goes next and whether he'll find himself running into the arms of the Dark Order.

Elsewhere, Matt Hardy continued on his path to the dark side, there was more meat added to the Scorpio Sky and Shawn Spears rivalry, and Jungle Boy had a great few minutes where he got to thrive as the brilliant underdog babyface act that he is.

When all was said and done, it was MJF and Orange Cassidy who were declared the winners of the bout, and the pair will now face off next week - with more Inner Circle and Best Friends involvement expected when that match rolls around.

Why is the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale rock bottom on this list, you ask? Simply put, while the match was highly enjoyable, the rest of the matches on the card were just better.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.