5 Best Matches From AEW's First Year
What was your favourite match from year one of All Elite?
The second annual AEW Double or Nothing is just around the corner, marking the first time that All Elite Wrestling can celebrate a second-annual anything. Hard to believe it's been a year already, right? The anticipation, the excitement, the wonder of what this new nationally-broadcast potential competition to WWE was going to look like. A year later, with a long TV deal in its pocket and an increasingly-impressive roster of stars, AEW looks to be pretty sturdy.
Throughout the company's first year, they've delivered on a number of fronts, including critically-acclaimed pay-per-views, well-executed angles, and, of course, quite a few "Match of the Year" candidates. Whether it was an emotionally-wrought roller coaster of a brawl, a fast-paced exhibition of stunts, or a barbaric battle of wills, AEW's fare encompasses a diverse range of styles and possibilities. It's been highly reflected in their output so far.
So, what would *you* say are the five best AEW matches of the company's first year? These would be my selections, but I'm sure your mileage might vary.
5. Jon Moxley Vs. Kenny Omega (Full Gear)
The possible dictionary photo next to "polarizing". Dave Meltzer rated it highly, despite hating the match, using the Lou Brown Principle from the movie Major League ("Nice catch, Hayes - don't ever f**king do it again!"). In other words, spectacular, but painful to watch.
Omega did his best to go shot for shot with the former two-time CZW champion in this "Lights Out" match, perhaps the most mainstream deathmatch there's been in US wrestling history. The match was a 30-plus minute dance of death that raised lots of debate.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
