Every Major AEW Show RANKED From Worst To Best

1. Revolution

Kip Sabian Jon Moxley
AEW

Where Full Gear invited scrutiny - come on, let's see what you've got - Revolution arrived on such a crest of euphoria that its reception obscured some ill-advised moments.

AEW somehow conspired to get us hyped for Goldust Vs. Jack Swagger. But then they delivered it. Nyla Rose Vs. Kris Statlander fell apart. Cody, I love you, but that neck tattoo was distracting.

AEW, the most scrutinised wrestling promotion ever, practically escaped it because the feeling surrounding the product was so overwhelmingly positive. That month of February - from angles to matches to promos, all deftly arranged to peak just before the pay-per-view - was the greatest run of episodic TV any promotion has ever mounted.

AEW has promoted better top-to-bottom PPV shows in terms of match quality, but emotion, vibe, and momentum are often more important than that. This period of AEW was an holistic smash success highlighted by a true ascendant Ace figure in Jon Moxley, who captured the AEW World Title after a cracking bells-and-whistles brawl.

It was a night on which everything came together to culminate so much hard work: Darby Allin's first major win; Orange Cassidy's white-hot first AEW match; the full, delivered promise of tag team wrestling as something that could once more be considered the beautiful centrepiece of a major promotion. That Kenny Omega and Hangman Page Vs. the Young Bucks was the greatest ever match of its kind obviously helped the show's now mythical standing.

It was something more than special. It was what it said it was: a Revolution.

 
Posted On: 
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!