Top 10 Matches in AEW History

It’s no secret that All Elite Wrestling is my favorite promotion in all of wrestling. There is just so much to love about it; It has wrestlers who have established themselves in other promotions doing some of the best work of their careers, it has made lesser-known wrestlers into big stars, it has incredible high-flying spot fests, matches with excellent psychology and story-telling, comedy wrestling, just about anything you could ever want in wrestling, AEW has it, and today I take a look at the 10 best matches in AEW’s history

Honorable Mention: The Stadium Stampede: Double or Nothing 2020

Look I’m on record as saying when I watched this match live it was the most fun that I had ever had while watching wrestling, and I very much stand by that, I lost it when Jericho threw a challenge flag on a two-count, Hangman entered the field on a damn horse, Matt Hardy went through every gimmick he ever had while Santana & Ortiz tried to drown him, there’s a bar fight, a 100-yard suplex combo and a legendary spot to finish the match. The problem I have with putting it on this list is that it really isn’t fair to judge such a cinematic and edited segment on the same criteria as actual wrestling matches, so I had to keep it off the list

10. Orange Cassidy vs Pac: Revolution 2020

Remember when I said comedy wrestling? Well here we have Orange Cassidy, who’s gimmick is literally that of a sloth in human form with sunglasses, He’s about as lazy as it gets, he literally didn’t win a ladder match one time, because he didn’t feel like putting in the effort to climb the ladder, and everything about it was pure comedy, yet there’s a twist when Orange Cassidy feels like it, he’s one of the best wrestlers in the world. Pac is one of the scariest men on earth and the sheer contrast in styles between Orange and Pac is truly a spectacle, the part where Pac trades Orange’s signature light kicks to the shins while the crowd goes berzerk is a magical moment, yet when the actual fierce wrestling picks up, you remember why these two belong on this list

9. Kenny Omega vs Jon Moxley: Full Gear 2019

Hey, do you like weapons? Do you like violence that looks like it belongs in a Mortal Kombat game? Do you like to see one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time throw down with the personification of 100 attacking wolves for almost 40 minutes that doesn’t get old for a single second? Well that’s exactly what you get with Omega and Moxley at Full Gear, it’s hardcore, it’s violence, it’s not a technical wrestling showcase, it’s a showcase of hardcore wrestling done to perfection

8. Riho vs Nyla Rose Dynamite 2/12/20

You may have heard this from a snarky internet wrestling fan but AEW’s women’s division isn’t exactly as good in comparison to the men’s and tag team divisions. However, that does not mean we haven’t seen some really good women’s matches in AEW, and one of those matches was between Riho and Nyla Rose. To put it simply, this is David vs Goliath if David were much smaller and not armed with a sling, but armed with the ability to kick Goliath’s ass by moving unbelievably fast and with elegance and devastation in one 95 pound package

7. Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega: Double or Nothing 2019

Oh look, Kenny Omega makes his second appearance on this list, I’m confident this is the last we’ll see of the best wrestler in the world on here. So while some may see me put this match on this list and immediately say something about how their match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 was far superior. Well, news flash, the Wrestle Kingdom 12 match was one of the best matches of the decade, so having a slightly less good version of that match is still pretty great. This match is of course the rematch of the previously mentioned New Japan match, however this time there’s the added bonus of the winner going on to All Out to wrestle Hangman Page for a chance to become the first-ever AEW World Champion, while this sequel may not be quite s good as the original, it was still a wrestling match for the ages

6. Mr. Brodie Lee vs Cody: Dynamite 10/7/20

In what is unfortunately known as the last Brodie Lee match before his tragic passing, we see the very rare dog collar match, this match was the final chapter in a brutal feud over the TNT Championship, a title that is quickly becoming one of the most interesting in all of wrestling. It’s two great wrestlers, finishing off one of the best feuds of the year in a brutal and unique match that lived up to the hype that the feud around it had created, may Mr. Jon Huber rest in peace, and let us all remember that his final match is one that much like the man himself, should be remembered forever

5. Kenny Omega vs Pac: Dynamite 2/26/20

Well if it isn’t Mr. Tyson Smith yet again, I’m starting to think that he is good at wrestling. In this match we see The Cleaner go against the wrestling world’s angriest gentleman in, unbelievably, a 30-minute Ironman match. These guys gave us 30 minutes of Kenny Omega and Pac, on free TV. As far as the actual wrestling goes, it’s as good as you would expect, both men remind us that they’re equal parts technical wizards and high-flying daredevils. 30 minutes of fast-paced nonstop wrestling, totally for free on television, what a gift to all wrestling fans.

4. The Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros All Out 2019

Finally, I get to talk about The Young Bucks and AEW’s tag team division, which is the greatest tag team division that wrestling has ever seen. You have SCU, Private Party, Santana & Ortiz, Jurassic Express, FTR, and of course, the Young Bucks and the Lucha Bros. This match is fairly easy to explain, it’s four of the most acrobatic wrestlers in the world, in a ladder match, just about any breath-taking and unique ladder spot you can think of is in this match and the car-crash level of stunts is a spectacle for the ages

3. Cody vs Dustin Rhodes Double or Nothing 2019

On the opposite side of the excellent wrestling coin, we have this match, a match that is about phenomenal story-telling over anything else. You have two brothers, two wrestlers whose careers will always be bound together by the American Dream, in a battle, Cody is fighting to prove he can live up to the expectations everyone has of him, Dustin to prove that while he’s up there in age, he still has it, it is bloody, it is emotional, it is simply the best form of story-telling that you will see told in a wrestling ring

2.Chris Jericho vs Cody Full Gear 2019

I have a feeling the hate mail section of my blog is going to be put to the test after people see that I placed this match this high. This match is taking two of the greatest story-telling wrestlers in the world today, and putting them in a match with the world title on the line and an added stipulation of Cody potentially never challenging for the world title of his own promotion ever again, the finish to the match is shocking and something I won’t spoil for anyone who hasn’t seen the match, but it sets a clear path for the next step in Cody’s career and establishes that Chris Jericho isn’t slowing down any time soon

1.Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs The Young Bucks Revolution 2020

Come on, you aren’t surprised to see this match here and you know it. It’s the greatest tag team match in wrestling history coming from the greatest tag team division in wrestling history. You have the man who appears on 40 percent of this list teaming with The Anxious Millennial Cowboy to take on the team many people consider to be the best tag team in the world. On paper it already sounds great but you throw in the drama of Hangman being upset with his fellow Elite members, it becomes a question of if Hangman possibly turns heel if he does will Kenny join him? Will the Bucks finally become AEW tag team champions? The finish to the match feels conclusive and just when you think it’s over a shocking bit happens at the end, we leave with all of our old questions answered, but news ones present. The action is as good as you will get from tag team wrestling, and the drama is unmatched, it is the best match in AEW history so far, and dare I say, the perfect tag team wrestling match

Wrestling Trivia: What is the only match in ECW history to be rated five stars?

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