Every AEW PPV Ranked From Worst To Best

8. Double Or Nothing 2021

AEW Full Gear 2021
AEW

Serena Deeb is one million f*cking percent the most underrated and under-utilised performer in the world, and she showed it by convincingly dissecting Riho's knee with as much craft as dramatic effect.

The actual opener was even better: Hangman Page took vengeance on Brian Cage in a terrific physics-defying bomb blast that resembled video game wrestling in the best way: cool and improbable, as opposed to cooperative. The Young Bucks beat Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston in what was the only flaw of an incredible tag team classic. When was the last time you wanted a babyface tag team to win that badly?

The middle of the card sagged and underwhelmed. Dr. Britt Baker's long-awaited title win over Hikaru Shida only got going at the very end. Anthony Ogogo impressed in flashes - massively so, given his level of experience - but it wasn't enough to meet the AEW PPV standard. Miro Vs. Lance Archer was good, not great.

Sting brought the vibe right the f*ck back up with an awesome, ageless performance alongside Darby Allin against Men Of The Year heightened by how well he had sold those Team Taz beatdowns earlier in the year. Kenny Omega Vs. PAC Vs. Orange Cassidy was tremendous. Given the history of the former two and the strategic objective of the match, how awesome was the spot where Omega countered the Brutaliser by sending PAC out of the ring?

Stadium Stampede II couldn't replicate the one-off magic, but the ending, in which the cinematic bled into the live arena, was genuinely stirring symbolism.

Uneven, and long, but unforgettable at its peak, elevated by a wild atmosphere thought forever lost.

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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!