These Brilliant AEW Success Stories Should Have SUCKED
2. Pandemic Pro Wrestling
It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.
But there was magic in the fresh air over Daily's Place, Jacksonville in 2020, and wrestling fans should still collectively thank All Elite Wrestling for two stress-free hours a week when they needed it most. Dynamite being as good as it was during its first year-plus wasn't just improbable - it should have been impossible.
As the market leader flailed away in the confines of its own gym and overspent on a ThunderDome that failed to inspire when the novelty wore off, AEW simply forged ahead booking utterly compelling programmes while also making good use of the unique(ly terrible) situation. And if Stadium Stampede, the Parking Lot Brawl and Le Dinner Debonaire were the empty arena headlines, the stories that made up the rest of the year will stand up decades removed from one of the stranger times in human history.
What made great television even better in hindsight was how rewarding it was to see so many of the big set-ups paid off in white hot buildings when the group were able to return to the road. The hard-earned euphoria was powerful and evident absolutely everywhere. Double Or Nothing 2021 has no right to be such a transcendent experience, but Jon Moxley looks ready to spontaneously combust as he makes a familiar walk through the Daily's stands with the unfamiliar feelings of fans back by his side.