Top 10 AEW Dynamite Moments
#10: Wardlow Takes the Lashing
During the pre-pandemic era, Cody Rhodes and MJF had an ongoing feud. It came to a head when MJF delivered a whopping ten lashes to Cody. A new fight has started between MJF and Wardlow, and history repeated itself when Wardlow was ordered to take 10 lashes from MJF. While Rhodes really sold his pain, Wardlow laughed after his first lashing. This enraged MJF, who only whipped him more furiously. The fans ate this right up, especially as Wardlow showed no emotion as the lashings went on. This moment also cemented MJF’s status as one of the greatest all time heels.
#9: Moxley Tricks the Inner Circle
Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle was the premier heel stable for AEW at the beginning, so the fandom was shaken when Jon Moxley tricked the inner circle. After being invited into their prestigious group, Moxley announced that he would join since the inner circle are considered the greats. Naturally, Jericho brought out a bit of the bubbly to celebrate, but Moxley had a few tricks up his sleeve. He asked Jericho to give him the keys to his car. Jericho obliged, and Moxley snatched the keys. He made it clear that he had no intention of ever joining the inner circle before running away. You can be a wrestling great, but that doesn’t mean everyone will want to be a part of your team.
#8: Hangman Returns
During AEW Dynamite’s two-year anniversary special, a former tag-team champion made his triumphant return. Adam “Hangman” Page returned as the mystery 7th competitor in the Casino Ladder Match. He proved that even though he had been away on paternity leave, he still wasn’t one to be messed with. “Hangman” delivered an epic Dead Eye to PAC from off the ladder and through a table, knocked Jon Moxley off the top of the ladder, and grabbed the casino chip to win the match. He claimed his spot in the World Championship match against his former friend and tag team partner Kenny Omega.
#7: The Fans Sing for Jericho
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While MJF technically won this battle, Jericho won the war. Or at least his fans in Houston. When his adoring fans learned that his entrance song, “Judas” wouldn’t be played so that he could fight MJF, they decided to sing it for him. The entire arena serenaded Jericho for his walk out, and they even had the lyrics on their phones to make sure they got it right. Nearly everyone was touched by this outpouring of support, except for the always devilish MJF. Maybe next time MJF won’t mess with the Jericho fans in Texas.
#6: Kenny Omega Wins the AEW Championship
The rivalry between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley has escalated since Moxley’s surprise debut at the first Double Or Nothing. But things finally reached their climax when Omega challenged Moxley for the AEW World Championship at 2020’s “Winter Is Coming”. At the end of a hard fought match, Kenny’s old mentor Don Callis provided the microphone for Omega to knock Moxley out and steal the 1-2-3 for the AEW World Championship. The fight didn’t stop there. Omega and Callias ran out of the building and said they’d explain their plan and renewed alliance on a different company’s show.
#5: CM Punk & MJF’s War of Words
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Sometimes wrestlers engage in a battle of wits instead of fists. At the beginning of a match between CM Punk and QT Marshall, MJF sauntered into the ring to exchange a few words with CM Punk. The two ended up having a borderline rap battle as CM Punk called MJF a “less famous Miz.” MJF retorted by calling CM Punk “soft” and “just kisses ass.” The verbal assault between the two continued as MJF brought up John Cena and Triple H. The heated exchange did not escalate beyond words, but it was certainly one of the most memorable openings in AEW history.
#4: Sting Makes His AEW Debut
Sometimes when a door closes, a wrestling window opens. That’s certainly what happened to Sting, who had briefly been a wrestler on WWE until he received a neck injury. However, that didn’t stop his wrestling career, and Sting made his spectacular AEW debut. The crowd went nuts as Sting strutted into the arena. Snow lightly fell as Sting stared the crowd down. It was an epic entrance, and what made it even more epic is the fact that Sting is in his early 60s! Sting proved that no matter how old you are, you can still make a triumphant return.
#3: MJF’s Pipebomb Promo
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After his loss to former protege Wardlow and a lot of backstage rumors about his future at AEW, MJF took a page out of rival CM Punk’s playbook and delivered his own version of a “Pipebomb” interview. Taking aim right at owner Tony Khan, MJF claimed that he’s not only a 26-year-old wrestling prodigy, he’s also the biggest home grown star. He upped the ante by asking to be fired since Tony Khan and AEW fans only care about stars coming in from other wrestling companies. As of Summer 2022, MJF still hasn’t been seen on camera. Fans still aren’t sure where the line between the on-screen MJF and the real life Maxwell Jacob Friendmen was drawn.
#2: Danielson & Omega Reaches the Time Limit
Most wrestling matches don’t go on for 30 minutes, but for wrestling titans Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega, that’s exactly what happened. AEW champion Omega could not take down Danielson no matter what he tried, so the match ended in a time-limit draw. Even though it was a slower paced match, the pair definitely put on a show complete with strikes and attempts at both of their finishers. The fans ate up this epic contest and didn’t seem too disappointed that neither Danielson or Omega emerged as victor. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Orange Cassidy Dumps OJ on the Inner Circle Chris Jericho Learned What “Getting Juiced” Means Darby Allin Soars Darby Challenged the Laws of Gravity With This Impressive Leap Cody Rhodes Hit a Moonsault off the Top of the Cage Cody Rhodes Showed Off His Incredible Gymnastic Super Power Brodie Lee Squashes Cody Rhodes One of the Most Shocking Victories Ever Kazuchika Okada Makes the Save The Best Way to Make an Entrance Is by Saving Your Friend
#1: The Brodie Lee Memorial Show Closing Moments
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At the tender age of 41, Brodie Lee passed away. His death came as a shock to the entire wrestling community. To honor him, AEW held a celebration of life that paid tribute to the famed wrestler. The most touching moments happened at the end of the event, when Lee’s wife and son came to the center of the ring. As they placed Lee’s wrestling boots and purple bandana down, CEO Tony Khan presented Lee with the TNT Championship. He was immortalized as a “TNT Championship for Life.” We couldn’t help but cry at this endearing moment.
