- 2 months ago
Get ready to witness the next great AEW moments as they happen LIVE on pay-per-view when AEW All In returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 30th, 2026! Don't miss it. From shocking debuts to emotional tributes and unforgettable championship wins, AEW has delivered some truly electric moments since day one. Join us as we relive the biggest surprises, most intense rivalries, and legendary matches that helped define All Elite Wrestling. Which AEW moment had you jumping out of your seat? Let us know in the comments below!
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo and today we'll be counting down our picks for the greatest
00:13AEW moments of all time and for a list this monumental we've called in some
00:19AEW heavy hitters Derby Allen, Willow Nightingale, Anthony Bowens and Chris
00:25Statlander. Number 20. The Rated-R Superstar Adam Copeland is All Elite.
00:39AEW WrestleDream The main event of AEW's inaugural WrestleDream
00:44pay-per-view saw Christian Cage successfully defend his TNT Championship in a brutal two-out-of-three
00:50falls match against Derby Allen. Not content with his victory, Cage would continue to attack
00:55Allen after the match, until Adam Copeland would shockingly make his AEW debut as Metalingus
01:02by Alter Bridge blared around the arena. For a brief moment, it looked as though the Rated-R
01:20Superstar was going to align himself with his former tag team partner by hitting Derby with
01:25the concerto. But he soon set his sights on the patriarchy instead.
01:40The night before, we actually shot his promo together, just straight-up guerrilla style,
01:46going through the streets of Seattle. We had the trunk open and I was holding onto his ankles
01:51while he was holding the camera while they were driving down the road.
01:54Christian Cage and Adam Copeland would come face-to-face once again just weeks later,
01:59with the latter asking his longtime friend to reunite as a team one final time. However,
02:04Christian Cage would respond with this iconic line.
02:1419. Thunder Rosa becomes AEW Women's Champion
02:18AEW Dynamite
02:20Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa had one of the most heated rivalries in the early days of the women's
02:26division in AEW. The two had put themselves in the history books after their brutal unsanctioned
02:32lights-out match, but their feud was far from over. Britt Baker would defend her AEW Women's
02:38Championship against Thunder Rosa in another high-stakes, violent match later down the line,
02:43but this time it would be within the confines of a steel cage.
02:47Passed Thunder Rosa
02:50On the second rope
02:52Oh!
02:53And the air raid crashed onto the chairs!
02:56Taking place in Thunder Rosa's adoptive hometown of San Antonio, Texas,
03:01the two women didn't hold back when it came to violence.
03:04The buddy heads cracking together, these two women.
03:08Oh!
03:09God!
03:11God!
03:12After putting each other through the ringer, Thunder Rosa would eventually emerge victorious,
03:16claiming her first-ever AEW Women's Championship.
03:20Right here on TBS!
03:22Oh, look out!
03:23Thunder Rosa!
03:24Fire Thunder!
03:25Driver in the thumbtacks!
03:27One, two, three!
03:29Kick it on!
03:29New champion!
03:31Number 18.
03:32MJF and Adam Cole hug it out!
03:35AEW All-In London
03:37Most pay-per-view main events usually pit bitter rivals against each other as they vie for the championship.
03:43All-In London, however, was a very different story when MJF and Adam Cole faced off in the main event.
03:59Prior to this, the two had developed the most unexpected friendship,
04:03much to the dismay of Roderick Strong, which was showcased throughout the match.
04:07After MJF scored the win with a surprise roll-up, it looked like the bromance was finally over,
04:13with the champion positioning himself to allow Adam Cole to strike him in the back with the AEW World Championship
04:19belt.
04:20Just get it over with!
04:22Just get it over with!
04:23In the end, Cole refused to betray MJF, and the ROH Tag Team Champions would embrace in the middle of
04:30the ring,
04:31keeping their friendship intact.
04:39Number 17.
04:40The Dark Order and the Elite Special Entrances
04:44AEW Dynamite!
04:46Talk about aura!
04:48What is it that makes a cowboy?
04:51During the intense feud between hangman Adam Page and his former allies of the Elite,
04:56he called upon the help of his friends, the Dark Order, to stand by his side for this epic clash.
05:02While the match itself was an awesome one,
05:05what people still talk about to this day is the cinematic entrances from both teams.
05:27We get chills every time we watch the What Makes a Cowboy video package.
05:32Although the Dark Order did outdo them entrance-wise,
05:35we've got to also give it to the Elite with their hilarious Space Jam-inspired entrance
05:40that saw them coming out to the iconic 1990s anthem,
05:44Y'all Ready For This?
05:45By 2 Unlimited!
05:54Number 16.
05:56MJF's Prophecy
05:58AEW Dynamite!
06:00If there's one thing MJF is known for, it's his sharp tongue.
06:04But who would have guessed he was so good at predicting the future?
06:07His promo against Jon Moxley in 2020 was vintage MJF.
06:12Arrogant, calculated, and packed with a whole lot of insults,
06:16but remarkably, much of what he said would eventually ring true.
06:20I plead black, white, and gold.
06:23I'm the guy who's going to be leading this company for the next 25 years!
06:28Making the bold statement that he was destined to lead AEW for the next 25 years,
06:34MJF insisted that his talent outweighed his lack of tenure
06:37and promised to make the company the pinnacle of professional wrestling.
06:41And that is why I'm making a promise to you that I will not stop
06:45until we go from happily glad-handing each other
06:48for being the alternative
06:49and transform this brand
06:51into the pinnacle of professional wrestling!
06:54At the time, it sounded like the typical bravado
06:57that MJF was becoming known for,
06:59but in hindsight, it all feels eerily accurate.
07:02Just over two years later,
07:04he would capture the AEW World Championship
07:06with a record-breaking 406-day reign
07:09and has since cemented himself as a three-time world champion
07:13and one of the industry's top stars.
07:16You know, he's stayed true to himself throughout the years,
07:20and, uh, I mean, what do they say?
07:24He's our scumbag, so...
07:25Wow, truly a golden age we're living in, Tony.
07:28He's lived up to that.
07:29Number 15.
07:30Hangman Sets Swift's House on Fire
07:34AEW Dynamite
07:35What is the craziest, most unhinged thing
07:38a person can be pushed to doing
07:40is lighting a man's home on fire.
07:43Not only his home,
07:45but his childhood home that he finally bought.
07:48Though most of the time he has a heart of gold,
07:51hell hath no fury like this cowboy.
07:53Swift took the lowest of low roads
07:55when he broke into Paige's family home
07:58and approached his child,
08:00something he regrets to this day.
08:02Fast forward to the contract signing
08:04for these two's upcoming match
08:06and something felt amiss.
08:08Hangman never showed up.
08:10Instead, he appeared on the monitor
08:12outside of Swift's childhood home
08:14that he had just proudly repurchased.
08:26After some emphatic words,
08:28Hangman did the unthinkable.
08:30The house went up in flames.
08:32Swift could simply do nothing but watch.
08:35Hangman's name is completely deranged.
08:37Number 14.
08:38Mercedes-Monnaie is All Elite
08:40AEW Dynamite
08:42The acronyms CEO and AEW
08:45worked together like a match made in heaven.
08:48So it was only right
08:50that one of the greatest women's wrestlers in history
08:52should find herself amongst the All Elite
08:55at the dynamite special Big Business.
09:09This is a person who's so iconic
09:13to so many people
09:14and such an inspiration to so many people
09:16and to bring her legacy to AEW
09:19was such a huge feat.
09:23Kicking off the show
09:24in her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts,
09:26Mercedes made an impassioned speech to the fans
09:29while also telling everyone
09:31her mission statement in AEW.
09:35Now, Willow...
09:37AEW's were the best wrestler
09:38and that's where she wanted to be.
09:40That's where she's found herself.
09:43Speaks for itself.
09:44You and I have a lot of unfinished business.
09:48True to her words,
09:50the CEO would go on to win
09:51the TBS Championship only a few months later,
09:54defeating Willow Nightingale
09:56at 2024's pay-per-view Double or Nothing.
09:59And as much as that's been like
10:01a thorn in my side since she's come,
10:05I can't deny she's been a little bit of a game changer.
10:08She's our longest reigning TBS champion.
10:11She's had the longest matches
10:14for the women in AEW history.
10:17So pushing for us to get more time.
10:19As much as I personally don't like her,
10:22I gotta admit,
10:23she's helping push the women along.
10:2913. Darby Allin Wins the AEW Championship
10:33AEW Dynamite
10:35For many, Darby Allin is the beating heart of AEW.
10:40A world title win seemed inevitable,
10:42but we never could have predicted
10:43how incredible his crowning night would be.
10:46I had nothing left at the end of that night.
10:49I had nothing left.
10:50When I was holding that championship,
10:51I looked down at it and I felt nothing
10:53because I used all my energy to get to that point.
10:56Morning of the show,
10:58I woke up and there's blood coming out of my ear.
11:00There's blood coming out of my nose
11:01and I'm coughing up blood.
11:02I am not feeling good at all.
11:04So to get to that night and then finally have this,
11:07I was like, this took everything.
11:10There was just something electric in the air that evening.
11:13Everyone knew they were about to witness history.
11:19And then came main event time.
11:22To the shock of pretty much everyone,
11:24Darby defeated world champion MJF in record time.
11:34Each of those coffin drops echoed throughout the building,
11:37but we knew this match could only end one way,
11:40with Darby finally getting revenge
11:42by winning with a side headlock takeover.
11:45If you become a champion,
11:47but you're told what to do every step along the way,
11:50so it's not really you, it's not really pure,
11:52what's the point of being a champion?
11:54Like, what's the point of it
11:55if it's like some industry plan?
11:57To know I was the world champion as myself?
12:02Oh, he's right.
12:03The side headlock.
12:03That's right.
12:05Takeover, he's got him.
12:06Two, three.
12:08Oh my God.
12:09Oh my God.
12:11You went no better feeling in the world.
12:14Number 12, Ospreay and Danielson's Legendary Clash.
12:18AEW Dynasty 2024.
12:21The greatest wrestler of one generation
12:23versus the greatest of another.
12:25That's what we were promised for this contest,
12:28and boy did it deliver.
12:29And I remember telling my mom before the show,
12:32like, listen,
12:33this is going to be the best professional wrestling match
12:35you've ever watched.
12:39Though their wrestling styles couldn't differ more,
12:42this clash of technical brilliance
12:44and high-flying innovation
12:45resulted in pure wrestling beauty.
12:48Ospreay kicks out,
12:49almost into Danielson's group.
12:51Ospreay lands on his feet.
12:52The snap.
12:53Unbelievable.
12:55Ospreay overcommitted.
12:57Busaiku, man.
12:58You'd be forgiven for thinking
12:59these two were out to kill each other.
13:01Just look at that Busaiku knee
13:08For many,
13:09this is not just the greatest AEW match of all time,
13:13but the best wrestling match, period.
13:19Number 11, Hangman Page's first AEW championship win,
13:24AEW 4Gear.
13:26Hangman's journey to claim the top prize in AEW
13:29is one full of twists and turns that spanned over two years.
13:33After failing to become the first ever AEW champion
13:36and suffering defeat at the hands of Chris Jericho,
13:40over time, Hangman's career took a turn for the worse
13:42and self-doubt would consume him.
13:45Thanks to his friends at the Dark Order, however,
13:47he was able to get out of this dark place
13:50and finally challenge his former elite stablemate,
13:53Kenny Omega, for the gold at 2021's full gear.
13:56He's going for the belt.
13:57Omega, swing and a miss.
13:59Hangman, dead eye!
14:03Both competitors threw everything they could at their opponents,
14:06but it was eventually Hangman who claimed the win
14:08after getting the nod of approval from the Young Bucks.
14:12Just get Bucks shot, Larry Ack!
14:14He got him!
14:15One!
14:16He beat him!
14:20Seeing Hangman celebrate his historic title win
14:23with the Dark Order
14:24is one of the most satisfying moments in AEW history.
14:27He's got a bright, illustrious future
14:30and there's the hub we've been looking for
14:33or thinking about.
14:34Number 10.
14:36Sting is All Elite
14:37AEW Dynamite
14:39In the world of professional wrestling,
14:41there have been champions and all-time greats,
14:43but only one icon.
14:45Because I remember stretching,
14:48the caster tapped me on the shoulder and said,
14:50look, and I turned around and I was just like,
14:54it's stinging!
14:55Like what?
14:55The inaugural Winter is Coming
14:57saw the strange sight of snow in sunny Jacksonville, Florida,
15:01but even more shocking was the man who stepped out after.
15:05It's Sting!
15:08To feel the energy in that room,
15:12in the crowd that night.
15:13I can't believe what I'm seeing!
15:16Also, just being 40% capacity,
15:18it was incredible.
15:19I was like, ah, this is amazing!
15:21Interrupting Team Taz's attack on Cody and his allies,
15:24all anyone could do was stand in awe
15:27as Sting made his way to the ring, bat in hand.
15:36This incredible moment would be Sting's first appearance on TNT
15:40in nearly 20 years
15:42and would be the start of his legendary run in AEW.
15:48Number 9.
15:49Stadium Stampede
15:50AEW Double or Nothing
15:52There was only one question on our lips
15:55the night this happened.
15:56What the hell is a stadium stampede?
15:59Suffice it to say,
16:00no one could have predicted the wild ride
16:02we were about to experience.
16:09Taking place during the pandemic era,
16:11this wild brawl pitted the elite
16:14versus the inner circle
16:15inside the empty TIAA Bankfield Stadium
16:18in Jacksonville, Florida,
16:20where the first team to score a pinfall
16:22anywhere in the arena
16:23were the victors.
16:25From the 100-yard suplex
16:27to Hangman's out-of-control bar fights,
16:29there was no shortage of memorable moments.
16:32Hangman off the back of Omega!
16:34Oh my God!
16:35The buckshot lariat!
16:37This chaotic showdown would reach its climax
16:39with Kenny Omega's giant one-winged angel
16:42off the balcony onto Sammy Guevara,
16:44driving him through the tables below.
16:54Number 8.
16:56Bryan Danielson Defeats Swift Strickland
16:58AEW All-In London
17:00With his unmatched wrestling career
17:02coming to a close,
17:04there was only one last thing
17:05Bryan Danielson needed to accomplish,
17:07winning the greatest prize in AEW.
17:15But that was much easier said than done
17:18when facing off against one of the company's greatest stars
17:21in Swift Strickland
17:22in a match that would see him
17:24either win the title
17:25or retire.
17:33It was a hellacious back-and-forth
17:35in front of the huge crowd in Wembley Stadium.
17:38Danielson threw absolutely everything he had at Swift,
17:41but it was ultimately a LaBelle lock
17:43which made him tap out.
17:50There wasn't a dry eye in the house
17:52as Danielson finally hoisted up that championship belt
17:56and embraced his family.
17:58Number 7.
17:59Jon Moxley Is All-Elite
18:01AEW Double or Nothing
18:04AEW's first-ever pay-per-view
18:06sent out a message to the wrestling world
18:08and then punctuated it
18:10with this incredible moment.
18:12Following the conclusion of its main event
18:14where Chris Jericho would defeat Kenny Omega,
18:17to the surprise of everyone,
18:19Jon Moxley would casually make his entrance
18:21through the crowd.
18:28We were all in absolute disbelief
18:31as Moxley entered the ring
18:32and hit Jericho with a paradigm shift.
18:43Moxley wouldn't stop there though
18:44as he would also put Kenny Omega
18:46through the Double or Nothing stage
18:48for good measure.
18:50AEW would not be anything that it is
18:52without Jon Moxley.
18:53He's truly one of like the true
18:56most AEW people
18:58that you could have
19:00and I am so grateful
19:01for everything that he's contributed.
19:11The Hollywood Ending
19:13AEW Revolution
19:14Immediately following her
19:16Owen Hart Cup tournament victory,
19:18Mariah May would betray her mentor
19:20Toni Storm
19:21and then go on to claim her
19:23AEW Women's Championship
19:25at All-In 2024.
19:27The rivalry between
19:28Protégé and Mentor
19:30did not end there.
19:31It evolved into a bitter blood feud.
19:33After Storm returned
19:35to reclaim her title
19:36at Grand Slam Australia,
19:38the feud culminated
19:39at 2025's Revolution pay-per-view
19:41in a Hollywood-ending
19:43Falls Count Anywhere match.
19:45I sentence you
19:46to a lifetime of mediocrity.
19:49Your life will continue,
19:51your career will continue,
19:52and it'll be good,
19:53but never great.
19:54Under these rules,
19:55both women would take
19:56each other to the limit,
19:57resulting in one of the most
19:58violent matches in AEW history.
20:01The conclusion of the match,
20:02which would see Storm pin May
20:04after a Storm Zero
20:05through a literal Hollywood
20:07ending sign,
20:08served as the perfect conclusion
20:10to the year-long story.
20:125.
20:13Sting's Final Match
20:15AEW Revolution
20:16To see how emotional he was
20:19when that video package played,
20:21to see how proud he was
20:22to have his kids out there
20:23with him for the first time,
20:25it was a moment
20:26that only AEW can deliver,
20:28and I think that 100%
20:29deserves to be on the list.
20:31And also,
20:31the match was insane,
20:32I think it was like
20:33a perfect send-off.
20:34To say Sting's time in AEW
20:36was a home run
20:37is an understatement.
20:39Teaming up with Darby Allen,
20:40he proved exactly
20:42why he's the icon,
20:43going the extra mile
20:44in all of his performances.
20:53After winning the
20:54AEW Tag Team Championship
20:56with Darby Allen,
20:58the date was set
20:59for Sting's final match
21:00at AEW Revolution,
21:02and their opponents
21:03were arguably
21:04the greatest tag team
21:05of this generation,
21:07the Young Bucks.
21:22It's a very rare sight
21:24in professional wrestling
21:25to see a wrestler
21:26actually win
21:27their final matchup,
21:28and this was looking
21:29to be the case
21:30with the Young Bucks'
21:31exceptional tag team abilities.
21:33It was honestly like
21:35one of the few times
21:37in my life
21:37I've actually gotten
21:38my goosebumps
21:39from watching wrestling.
21:40Sting, however,
21:41defied all the odds,
21:43and with the aid
21:44of Darby Allen,
21:45was able to retire
21:46as a champion
21:47after tapping out
21:48Matt Jackson
21:48with the Scorpion Death Lock.
21:51Yes!
21:53Yes!
21:56At the end of the night,
21:58to have him
21:59be in the ring with me,
22:00and I'm all covered
22:01in blood, taped up,
22:03my side is hanging out,
22:05and he's like,
22:05thank you for everything.
22:07And that means
22:08the world to me.
22:09Number 4.
22:10Danielson and Omega
22:11reached the time limit.
22:13AEW Dynamite
22:14The American Dragon
22:16facing off
22:17against the best bout machine
22:18was a dream match
22:19we never thought
22:20we'd get to witness,
22:21but thankfully,
22:22it became a reality
22:23in Bryan Danielson's
22:25very first match
22:26in AEW
22:27at the inaugural Grand Slam.
22:29As you can imagine,
22:31fans were incredibly hyped
22:32for this match,
22:33which became immediately apparent
22:35to anyone who wasn't in the know
22:37the second the bell rang.
22:39Danielson looks poised,
22:40he looks confident,
22:42but so does Omega.
22:44Paul Turner
22:44called for the bell.
22:45Here we go,
22:45let's get after this thing.
22:47What a great match.
22:49These guys can hear it
22:50as well as we can.
22:51The fans are on their feet,
22:52they're loving this,
22:53and these two men
22:54have yet to lock up.
22:56What followed
22:56was one of AEW's
22:58greatest matches
22:59in the history
23:00of the company,
23:01with both Omega
23:02and Danielson
23:03pulling out all the stops.
23:04I've never noticed
23:06until now,
23:06he's a left-handed kicker.
23:07And a right-handed kicker.
23:09Oh no!
23:09Oh my gosh!
23:10Oh my God in heaven!
23:12Are you kidding me?
23:13Unfortunately,
23:14we never got to see a winner
23:16as the matchup
23:17resulted in a draw,
23:18and there were
23:19no further rematches.
23:20But in a way,
23:21that only one-on-one showdown
23:23in AEW
23:24ending this way
23:25somehow made it feel
23:26even more special.
23:35Number 3
23:36Hangman Page
23:37Defeats John Moxley
23:39AEW All-In Texas
23:50After defeating
23:52his former fellow
23:53Death Rider
23:53Bryan Danielson
23:54and winning
23:55the AEW Championship,
23:56John Moxley
23:58immediately put the title
23:59in a briefcase,
24:00believing that both
24:01the AEW roster
24:02and fans
24:03weren't worthy enough
24:04to see it.
24:05Because of this,
24:06for months upon months,
24:07we never saw
24:08the AEW Championship
24:10in its physical form.
24:11That is,
24:12until All-In Texas,
24:13where Hangman
24:14would challenge
24:15and defeat Moxley,
24:16forcing him to tap out
24:18while being hanged
24:19by a chain.
24:20Thank you, John!
24:27Not only was it
24:28an iconic moment,
24:29but we all breathed
24:30a sigh of relief
24:31to see the AEW Championship
24:33once again.
24:35So I got personal beef
24:36with John Moxley,
24:37personal beef
24:38with Marina Shafir,
24:39and I'm like,
24:40I want to see somebody
24:42just give them
24:43what they deserve.
24:44And my boy
24:45Hangman did it.
24:522.
24:53Brodie Lee Tribute Show
24:54AEW Dynamite
24:56It was an honor
24:57to be a part of that show.
24:58It was emotional
24:58for everybody involved.
25:00In late December of 2020,
25:02the wrestling world mourned
25:03after the tragic death
25:05of Brodie Lee
25:05at the age of 41.
25:07The following Dynamite show
25:09would be a tribute show
25:10to the multi-time
25:11wrestling champion
25:12titled
25:13The Brodie Lee
25:14Celebration of Life.
25:16Goodbye for now,
25:17my brother.
25:17See you down the road.
25:18Throughout the night,
25:20Brodie's fellow
25:20stablemates of the Dark Order
25:22would each pick up wins
25:23whilst honoring their leader.
25:25It was just a perfect,
25:26a perfect tribute
25:27to a genuine,
25:28genuine man.
25:29The most touching moment
25:30came at the end of the show
25:31when Brodie's wife
25:33and son,
25:33Brodie Lee Jr.,
25:35made an appearance.
25:37Wake up,
25:39you're mine.
25:41After placing
25:42Brodie's wrestling boots
25:43in the center of the ring,
25:44the president and CEO
25:46of All Elite Wrestling,
25:48Tony Khan,
25:48would present to Brodie Lee Jr.
25:50the very last title
25:52his father captured,
25:53proclaiming him
25:54the TNT champion for life.
26:15Number 1.
26:17Bryan Danielson
26:18and Adam Cole
26:19double debut
26:20AEW All Out
26:232021's All Out
26:24was already an all-time event
26:26in itself,
26:26but its incredible closing moments
26:28are still burned into our memories
26:30to this day.
26:32Following Kenny Omega's
26:33successful title defense
26:34against Christian Cage,
26:36the champion would continue
26:37to attack the Challenger
26:38as well as Jurassic Express
26:40with his fellow stablemates,
26:42the Elite.
26:43Completely overwhelmed,
26:44it appeared as though
26:45no one was coming out
26:46to help them.
26:47That is,
26:48until Adam Cole
26:48made his shocking debut,
26:50only to end up aiding
26:52and aligning himself
26:53with the Elite.
27:08in the match that I was wrestling in,
27:10we did one of Adam Cole's moves
27:13and to be fair,
27:15doing that,
27:16I didn't even know
27:16he was debuting that day.
27:18So I did that move
27:19thinking it was like
27:20a cheeky moment,
27:21not even knowing
27:22that he was actually
27:23going to debut.
27:24With the show about to close
27:26as Kenny Omega
27:27bid the crowd goodnight,
27:28none other than
27:29the American Dragon himself
27:31would suddenly appear.
27:38Allying himself
27:39with Christian Cage
27:40and Jurassic Express,
27:42Bryan Danielson
27:43was able to help them
27:44fend off the Elite,
27:45finishing things off
27:46with a very satisfying
27:47Busaiku knee
27:48to Nick Jackson.
27:53Oh my God!
27:55What a shock!
27:56And to have these legends
27:57and amazing talents
28:00come in,
28:02it's,
28:02I don't know,
28:03you can't really blow
28:04a roof off of a place
28:05like you can
28:06on a night like that.
28:15Witness the next great
28:17AEW moments
28:19as they happen live
28:20on pay-per-view
28:21when AEW All-In
28:22returns to
28:23Wembley Stadium
28:24on Sunday,
28:25August 30th,
28:262026.
28:27What's your favorite
28:29AEW moment?
28:30Let us know
28:31in those comments below.
28:32We'll see you next time.
28:36We'll see you next time.