Violent & Bloody AEW Matches That Made Us SICK!

9. The Elite Vs. Blackpool Combat Club - Double Or Nothing 2023

Jon Moxley
AEW

Again: Anarchy In The Arena II, while outstanding, was not as magic as the first, ultra-chaotic match.

Much as the reunion of Kenny Omega and Hangman Page was euphoric to those who fell in love with AEW in its first year, nothing could touch the iconic visual of Eddie Kingston, doused in blood, shuffling to the ring with a gas can. That sequence was something beyond perfect. Eddie - and how impossible was this? - looked like he wanted to kill a man. You can't just do that in a wrestling context. You must be some degree of genius as a worker to pull that off.

The second match however was, quite literally, a blast: Matt Jackson working a secret explosion spot with a bomb-laced superkick to Jon Moxley's face was such an inspired idea.

Built around the Elite slowly coming together again with roof-raising tandem offence, prior to the finish - which proved that the Blackpool Combat Club, by relying on Konosuke Takeshita, could not match a united Elite - Matt Jackson built on his shoe Lore. It was removed from his foot, and in an exceptional gross-out moment, that foot was planted into thumbtacks.

This induced a revolted shudder. Everybody has stepped on a plug, and everybody felt his pain vicariously.

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!