After a rocky start in 2019, AEW was finding their way in 2020 – then COVID hit. So they went back to basics and really REALLY found their way, becoming my favorite wrestling to follow. Here is a tribute to the best of the best from the company so accomplished it got me to watch even more wrestling in 2020.
AEW’s Top 12 Best Matches of 2019
- Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes (Double or Nothing 5/25/19)
- Nick Jackson vs. Fenix (Dynamite 11/20/19)
- AEW Women’s World Title: Riho [c] vs. Emi Sakura (Full Gear 11/9/19)
- AAA Mega Title: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Jack Evans (Dark 11/26/19)
- AAA World Tag Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. The Lucha Bros (Double or Nothing 5/25/19)
- Kenny Omega vs. CIMA (Fight for the Fallen 7/13/19)
- AEW World Tag Title Tournament – Round 1: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party (Dynamite 10/9/19)
- AEW World Tag Title Tournament – Final: SoCal Uncensored vs. The Lucha Bros (Dynamite 10/30/19)
- Hikaru Shida, Riho & Roy Mizunami vs. Aja Kong, Yuma Sakazaki & Emi Sakura (Double or Nothing 5/25/19)
- Street Fight – AEW World Title: Chris Jericho [c] vs. Darby Allin (Dynamite 10/16/19)
- Trent vs. Bastard PAC (Dynamite 11/6/19)
- 3-Way Tag Match: Jurassic Express vs. The Hybrid2 vs. Dark Order (Fight for the Fallen 7/13/19)
2020 Year in Performance Review
This is just good old-fashioned wrestling TV, and in the sad mess that was 2020 I appreciated having both a good wrestling show and good TV show to look forward to weekly. Even if a Dynamite isn’t amazing, there are at least interesting characters, forward movement, and a general trust that I won’t be insulted for investing (the bar was low).
They showcased new talent and established an ensemble without overexposing anybody or introducing them too early. They found roles for underutilized legends too: Taz became an all-time great manager overnight, and not only did AEW hire Eddie Kingston but he headlined a pay-per-view.
I also liked watching the arcs of wrestlers that didn’t work at first but became highlights of the show: Dark Order, Britt Baker, even Page and Omega all came around in 2020. And though it’s still hit-or-miss, the wrestling got better: less long pointless matches and more to-the-point TV wrestling with the occasional long not-pointless match.
It still doesn’t feel so different that I can say it will attract anyone but the uninitiated, and there are still some basic wrestling things in need of fixes like giving the women’s division purpose or a consistent Young Bucks character. It throws me off when AEW relies on WWE tropes like contract signings or backstage attacks. There has to be some old school philosophy around it too, but it’s weird how much AEW relies on introducing a big guy then having him lose a title match and go dormant.
Lots of dwelling on the bad in 2020 though, so let’s talk about the good.
AEW’s Top 25 Best Matches of 2020
25. AEW World Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Kenny Omega (Dynamite 12/2/20)
It wasn’t the best match AEW had all year, but it felt like the biggest. I liked the vibe of Mox not there to play with Kenny’s style, all broken down and brawling before Kenny revved it up. The most newsworthy of finishes too.
24. AEW World Tag Team Title: FTR [c] vs. The Young Bucks (Full Gear 11/7/20)
Great straight-up tag wrestling with a some references and epic spots for good measure – it wasn’t the Dream Match a couple years ago would’ve suggested, but it was still really good.
23. TNT Title: Cody [c] vs. Orange Cassidy (Dynamite 10/14/20)
The emergence of Orange Cassidy as a serious wrestler was one of the best things I saw in wrestling all year. Here he goes toe-to-toe with Cody, quality chain wrestling that blended into a great comeback. The side-story of Cody being a dick and taking more risks than he should have was well done too.
22. AEW World Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Eddie Kingston (Dynamite 9/23/20)
Pro wrestling that felt alive – a match setup with short notice, but excellent promos and serious work made it something special.
21. AEW World Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. MJF (All Out 9/5/20)
This might have jumped a few spots due to how much blood MJF lost, but it’s also a major league match and probably the most “wrestling” of Mox’s title defenses.
20. Kenny Omega vs. Trent Baretta (Dynamite 4/1/20)
Kenny and Trent made the most of the pre-Daily’s Place empty arena run and gave a whole 20-minute Kenny Special plus powerbombs into walls and whatnot.
19. No DQ & No Countouts – AEW Women’s World Title: Nyla Rose [c] vs. Hikaru Shida (Double or Nothing 5/23/20)
Really fun match with Shida selling huge for Nyla and throwing crazy knees and kendo stick shots that just willed this into being awesome.
18. TNT Title: Mr. Brodie Lee [c] vs. Orange Cassidy (Dynamite 9/23/20)
In the promo video for this match, Tony Schiavone says: “You can’t beat a guy as big and dangerous as Mr. Brodie Lee with your hands in your pockets.” They wrestled a whole match around that, with a mean beatdown and awesome Orange comebacks that didn’t feel ridiculous for a second.
17. Cody vs. Joey Janela (Dynamite 5/6/20)
Great wrestling match from two guys I appreciate but don’t always associate with great wrestling matches. They took a couple bumps into the rope cables early that freaked me out, then went all dream match at the end with unique counters, good near falls, and big physicality.
16. AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament – Quarter Final: Penta el Zero M vs. Rey Fenix (Dynamite 10/21/20)
The first one-on-one Lucha Bros match in AEW was awesome, delivering solid story in between a showcase spotfest by two incredible wrestlers. Fenix’s Tornillo plancha to the floor is one of the greatest of all time.
15. Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks (Dynamite 9/30/20)
Awesome Young Lion opener just oozing with potential: Darby is the perfect amount of smooth in the ring and reckless outside of it, and Starks complements it perfectly: great heel, selling, and takedown-and-suplex offense – no wonder Taz picked him up.
14. Parking Lot Fight: Best Friends vs. Santana & Ortiz (Dynamite 9/16/20)
Quality pro wrestling done without a wrestling ring, with everybody taking the craziest bumps they could as they concluded one of AEW’s best feuds of the year. I went from audibly gasping at the carnage to smiling at the feel-good ending.
13. Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker (Dynamite 4/8/20)
An early pandemic match that cemented the legend of Dr. Britt Baker, as she delivered a tremendous heel performance before Shida broke her nose and the fighting got so bloody and intense that they made a t-shirt out of it. Jericho loses it on commentary too.
12. TNT Title: Cody Rhodes [c] w/ Arn Anderson vs. Darby Allin (Full Gear 11/7/20)
A match that got a ton of story across without following any particular convention, with Darby beint spectacular and Cody operating on many different levels: flexing and being a shit early, then willing to do an avalanche-style Crossroads to put Darby down later. Arn Anderson screaming STAY DOWN as Cody dropped bodyslam after bodyslam was awesome.
11. AEW World Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page [c] vs. The Lucha Bros (Dynamite 2/19/20)
A PPV-level tag match, getting into second gear early then just continuing to build on it as the crowd lost their minds again and again. The epic tag match gets ran a lot These Days, but the ones that stand out are extra worth your time. This dive train is one of the best ever too.
10. Steel Cage Match: Cody vs. Wardlow (Dynamite 2/19/20)
Classic simple old school Cage Match with Cody going full Dusty Rhodes and using all the tricks to have a great match with the big rookie, who to his credit was there for everything. The crowd was committed to their guy Cody, who bled and bumped all over before he did a moonsault off the top of the cage.
9. AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament – Final: Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page (Full Gear 11/7/20)
They delivered what they do here: impressive and athletic wrestling insanity mixed with an actual aura of competition. They do it with a higher level of skill and trust than many who do it. Incredible dives, nasty bumps, sweet counters, logical shifts in momentum… just dudes being bros.
8. The Young Bucks vs. The Hybrid2 (Dynamite 12/9/20)
An absurd match in all the greatest ways, a “capture eyeballs” kind of 90s cruiserweight tag that kept a hot tempo as Jack Evans finally just DID IT on national TV a decade after he should’ve already been doing it.
The high-flying was impressive even in 2020, highlighted by the Bucks catching a Space Flying Tiger Drop and turning it into a Meltzer Driver on the floor. Wow.
7. 30-Minute Iron Man Match: Kenny Omega vs. PAC (Dynamite 2/26/20)
The best of the few matches they’ve had in AEW, a great complete 15-minute match followed by another spectacular 15: complex high-flying maneuvers, great selling of exhaustion and limbs, and alllll the dramatic near falls.
6. Stadium Stampede Match: The Elite vs. The Inner Circle (Double or Nothing 5/23/20)
The most professional wrestling of cinematic matches that were all the rage this year, a 10-man tag held at the Jaguars’ stadium with Super Bowl entrances, a moonsault off a goalpost, a bodyslam on a recycling bin, random wrestling exchanges, some of Matt Hardy’s best gags, a Judas Effect to the Jaguars’ mascot, and eventually epic death scenes for all the bad guys.
5. Orange Cassidy vs. Chris Jericho (Dynamite 7/8/20)
I expected this first time match to be fun, but was surprised to see it turn into some kind of millennial Flair/Sting with a thrilling last 10 minutes as Orange Cassidy finally showed up. It helped he doesn’t really have a finisher – it could have been ANYTHING! Their next two matches stunk, but we’ll always have this edge-of-your-seat miracle.
4. I Quit Match – AEW World Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. Eddie Kingston (Full Gear 11/7/20)
Sometimes I want nuanced movement or storytelling; sometimes I want to see guys beat each other up and bleed from the mouth and head. This had all of it. The approach on everything was just to hurt a man bad… suplexes were on chairs or thumbtacks; holds were done with barbed wire and often became chokes. Kingston used rubbing alcohol, because of course he did. Glorious, nasty wrestling from two psychopaths who respect the business.
3. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC (Revolution 2/29/20)
Wrestling is fake, everybody knows this – so do something with it. Orange did something, and PAC was the perfect guy to make sure everybody got it: the reactions, the skill, the ability to base when Orange occasionally decided to show that – yes – he can do a tilt-a-whirl DDT too. The match where “Orange Cassidy” clicked.
2. Dog Collar Match – AEW TNT Title: Brodie Lee [c] vs. Cody (Dynamite 10/7/20)
Like Cody’s match with Dustin in ‘19, this felt as Jim Crockett Promotions as wrestling might be able to get These Days. They didn’t play around and try and tell a story, because the story was already told – all they needed here was the chain and their blood. Epic, violent, awesome wrestling.
1. AEW World Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page [c] vs. The Young Bucks (Revolution 2/29/20)
A wonderful winding road of pro wrestling love and insanity, with all the ridiculous high-impact high-flying that The Elite are known for put to the test in a 30+ minute big time match and acing it. Even better, in an era when these types of performances aren’t always highlighted this is a true superstar-making performance for Hangman, who not only kept up but broke out. Kenny kicking out of the Golden V-Trigger at one was the loudest pop in Chicago since Punk beat Cena too, I swear.
AEW’s Top 25 Good TV Matches of 2020
- AEW World Tag Team Title: FTR [c] vs. The Best Friends (Dynamite 10/14/20)
- AEW World Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page [c] vs. The Best Friends (Dynamite 7/1/20)
- AEW World Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page [c] vs. The Natural Nightmares (Dynamite 6/17/20)
- AEW World Title Eliminator – Semi Final: Hangman Page vs. Wardlow (Dynamite 10/28/20)
- Hangman Page vs. Frankie Kazarian (Dynamite 9/16/20)
- AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament – Quarter Final: Hangman Page vs. Colt Cabana (Dynamite 10/21/20)
- Hangman Adam Page vs. Alan “5” Angels (Dynamite 7/22/20)
- No DQ Match – AEW World Title Eliminator: Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela (Dynamite 12/16/20)
- Street Fight: Kenny Omega & Matt Hardy vs. Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevera) (Dynamite 5/6/20)
- Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Jurassic Express (Dynamite 7/15/20)
- The Young Bucks and FTR vs. The Lucha Bros and The Butcher & The Blade (Dynamite 7/8/20)
- Tag Team Battle Royale – AEW World Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match (Dynamite 2/19/20)
- TNT Title: Cody [c] vs. Ricky Starks (Dynamite 6/17/20)
- TNT Title: Cody [c] vs. Jungle Boy (Dynamite 6/3/20)
- TNT Title: Brodie Lee [c] vs. Dustin Rhodes (Dynamite 9/9/20)
- AEW Women’s World Title: Hikaru Shida [c] vs. Penelope Ford (Dynamite 7/1/20)
- NWA Women’s World Title: Thunder Rosa [c] vs. Serena Deeb (Dynamite 11/18/20)
- 4-Way Match – AEW Women’s World Title: Riho [c] vs. Dr. Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose (Dynamite 1/1/20)
- AEW World Title: Jon Moxley [c] vs. The Butcher (Dynamite 9/30/20)
- Jon Moxley vs. Frankie Kazarian (Dynamite 5/6/20)
- Jon Moxley vs. Santana (Dynamite 2/12/20)
- Darby Allin vs. PAC (Dynamite 1/15/20)
- Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. FTR (Dynamite 6/24/20)
- Trent vs. Miro (Dynamite 11/4/20)
- Marko Stunt vs. Lance Archer (Dynamite 4/1/20)
AEW’s 25 Best Angles/Promos of 2020
- Taz calls out management and attacks Cody (Dynamite 11/25/20)
- Sting debuts and confronts Team Taz (Dynamite 12/2/20)
- Jon Moxley/Eddie Kingston promos (Dynamite 10/21, 10/28 & 11/4/20)
- Jade Cargill confronts Cody and name drops Shaq (Dynamite 11/11/20)
- Eddie Kingston answers the TNT Championship Open Challenge (Dynamite 7/22/20)
- Jon Moxley promo on MJF (Dynamite 9/2/20)
- Don Callis helps Kenny Omega win the AEW World Title and plugs Impact (Dynamite 12/2/20)
- Will Hobbs turns on Cody and joins Team Taz (Dynamite 11/18/20)
- Britt Baker’s Rules of Being a Role Model and Road to Recovery (Dynamite 5/27/20 & 6/3/20)
- Cody interview on the TNT Title Open Challenge (Dynamite 5/27/20)
- The Dark Order lays out The Nightmare Family (Dynamite 8/22/20)
- Dinner Debonair with Chris Jericho and MJF (Dynamite 10/21/20)
13 The Inner Circle’s Ultimatum (12/9/20) - Taz and Brian Cage promo on Jon Moxley (Dynamite 6/17/20)
- Taz, Brian Cage and Ricky Starks promo on Will Hobbs and Darby Allin (Dynamite 10/21/20)
- Tully Blanchard and FTR promo on the Tag Team Titles (Dynamite 9/2/20)
- Jon Moxley makes his decision on The Inner Circle (Dynamite 1/8/20)
- First Dynamite at Daily’s Place: Brodie Lee and Matt Hardy debut (Dynamite 3/18/20)
- PAC returns (Dynamite 11/11/20)
- The Inner Circle lays out Orange Cassidy (Dynamite 6/10/20)
- Brodie Lee challenges Cody to Dog Collar Match (Dynamite 9/24/20)
- Jake Roberts warns Cody (Dynamite 3/4/20)
- MJF’s State of the Industry Address (Dynamite 7/29/20)
- Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss beat up thugs at a gas station (Dynamite 6/24/20)
- Ricky Starks takes a skateboard with thumbtacks to the back (Dynamite 7/30/20)
Best AEW Wrestlers of 2020
Best Wrestlers
1. Kenny Omega
2. Hangman Page
3. Jon Moxley
4. The Young Bucks
5. Hikaru Shida
6. Orange Cassidy
7. Cody Rhodes
8. The Lucha Bros
9. Trent
10. Eddie Kingston
Best Acts
1. Orange Cassidy
2. MJF w/ Wardlow
3. Team Taz
4. Dr. Britt Baker
5. Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle
6. Darby Allin
7. Tony Schiavone
8. The Elite
9. Cody Rhodes and The Nightmare Family
10. Brodie Lee and The Dark Order
Best Tag Teams
1. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page
2. The Young Bucks
3. The Best Friends
4. The Lucha Bros
5. FTR
6. Santana & Ortiz
7. SoCal Uncensored
8. The Hybrid2
9. Stu Grayson & Evil Uno
10. The Butcher & The Blade
Breakout Stars / Most Potential
1. Britt Baker
2. Darby Allin
3. Wardlow
4. Ricky Starks
5. Jungle Boy
6. Sammy Guevara
7. John “4” Silver
8. Will Hobbs
9. Thunder Rosa
10. The Acclaimed
Most Improved?
1. Britt Baker
2. Big Swole
3. Mr. Brodie Lee
4. The Hybrid2
5. Kenny Omega
Get Inspired and Do Better
1. Jake Hager
2. Shawn Spears
3. Miro & Kip Sabian
4. Private Party
5. Joey Janela
Best On-Screen Talent
1. Taz
2. Tony Schiavone
3. Arn Anderson
4. Tully Blanchard
5. Jim Ross
