It has been two years since AEW Dynamite hit the airwaves on TNT for the first time. Since then the show has quickly become the best weekly wrestling show on television.
There was a long period of time where the show was forced to remain at Daily’s Place during the pandemic which was pretty lame but it did not stop the show from having memorable matches and moments.
Here we will take a look at the top 12 matches and moments from the show’s second year.
There were plenty of others that could have made this list but these are the ones that stood out the most.
Some matches on this list might not be the best technical performances, but these are the ones that made the biggest impact in hindsight.
12. Blood & Guts – May 5, 2021
People like to make fun of the finish of Blood & Guts but they often neglect to mention how good the match itself was.
This was an old-school War Games match in pacing and execution. The only thing wrong with the bulk of the match was the commercial breaks. Had this been on pay-per-view much of the problem would have been eliminated.
This was bloody and violent, with virtually every man involved getting busted open. Ultimately MJF and Jericho ended up on the roof with MJF threatening to throw Jericho from the top.
This caused the Inner Circle to surrender to save their leader only for MJF to throw him off anyway. This was a great finish tainted only by Jericho landing on a very obvious crash pad.
11. Kenny Omega vs. Rey Fenix – January 6, 2021
If you are looking for the best AEW Dynamite match of the Daily’s Place era, this might be it.
Kenny Omega’s first defense of the AEW World Championship came on the first show of 2021 against Rey Fenix. The two had wrestled before but this was their first singles match on television for AEW.
You could make the argument for both of these guys to be the best wrestler in the world bell-to-bell. Their chemistry is fantastic and they kicked off 2021 with a five-star match.
There was no chance Fenix was winning this match, but that didn’t take away from the incredible performance both men put on.
10. KENTA Opens the Forbidden Door – February 3, 2021
For two years people wondered if we would ever see a crossover between AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Finally, on February 3, 2021, KENTA opened the Forbidden Door.
Attacking Jon Moxley at the end of AEW Dynamite, KENTA removed his hood, mask and sweater to reveal his identity as Twitter lost its collective mind.
This was a very simple beatdown angle in execution but it represented something fans had been longing for for two years. Finally, we would see AEW and New Japan stars in the same ring.
9. Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage – July 28, 2021
While not the most impressive match in terms of in-ring quality, Chris Jericho’s match with Nick Gage was an illustration of something greater.
AEW has shown that you do not have to look and wrestle a certain way to succeed in this business anymore. This has been exemplified by the likes of Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, Sonny Kiss and others, but Nick Gage is maybe the biggest example yet.
To have deathmatch legend Nick Gage wrestle Chris Jericho in the main event of AEW Dynamite was a statement filled with exciting possibilities for the future.
This might not be everyone’s thing, but every once in a while something totally different is pretty neat.
8. Shaq & Jade Cargill vs. Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet – March 3, 2021
AEW Dynamite has seen a number of major sports stars have big moments on television. Most recently Jorge Masvidal hit a flying knee on Chris Jericho but the biggest (in more ways than one) has been Shaq.
Shaquille O’Neal has always talked about dabbling in pro wrestling. His lone match before this was a battle royal at WrestleMania 32. This, however, was much more impressive.
Built up for several months, Shaq teamed with the debuting Jade Cargill to beat Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet.
As far as celebrity wrestling matches go, this was in a very high tier. Shaq played his part excellently and the match served as a perfect vehicle to highlight Cargill and Red Velvet.
7. Malakai Black Debuts for AEW – July 7, 2021
Debuts play a big part in this list. Many of AEW’s best moments have come in the form of debuts at various events but one of the best to come out of AEW Dynamite this year has been that of Malakai Black.
On the first AEW Dynamite back on the road, Black debuted and hit the Black Mass on Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes.
This first show needed a massive moment after a year and a half spent at Daily’s Place and this was it.
Criminally misused in WWE, Black was immediately pushed as a huge star. Since then, he has only been pushed harder.
6. The Dinner Debonaire – October 21, 2020
I completely forgot that the Dinner Debonair segment happened during year two. Not surprising seeing as it took place just two weeks after the big AEW Dynamite Anniversary show.
However, this was one of the biggest Dynamite moments of 2020. It won the company awards for goodness sake.
In a rare bit of sports entertainment wackiness, Chris Jericho and MJF broke out into a choreographed song and dance routine covering “Me and My Shadow”.
This was extremely divisive at the time but then again much of AEW is if you listen to the crowd happy to tear them down. That is not to say the company is without criticism, but this was just a bit of fun really.
5. Kenny Omega Defeats Jon Moxley – December 2, 2020
When AEW launched in 2019, Kenny Omega was destined to be AEW World Champion one day.
He spent most of his first two years finding his way and competing as a tag team but that all changed at Winter is Coming.
Omega had won the Eliminator Tournament to become number one contender and on December 2, 2020, he defeated Jon Moxley to become the AEW World Champion.
The match was perfectly acceptable but it is the moment of Omega winning the title that is truly memorable. Don Callis turning heel and helping Omega win the title set us on the path we are still on.
Omega is currently the longest-reigning AEW World Champion to date at it all started here.
4. Sting Debuts for AEW – December 2, 2020
Just as one icon made his mark on TNT, another made his long-awaited return.
As Team Taz beatdown Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin, the lights went out and new music blared.
Soon enough one word flashed up on the screen, STING. The man once thought retired walked through the curtain onto TNT for the first time in almost 20 years as Tony Schiavone exclaimed “IT’S STING!”
Sting acknowledged Allin and Rhodes before making his exit but this was a debut for the ages. Even in a venue with drastically limited seating, this moment had the crowd sounding thunderous.
3. Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson – September 22, 2021
For years if you asked what the biggest WWE vs. AEW dream match was, many would say Kenny Omega vs. Daniel Bryan. It seemed impossible, but impossible things just seem to keep happening in AEW lately.
With Bryan Danielson making his debut at All Out, he was immediately thrust into a rivalry with Omega.
Despite not being ranked for a title shot, Danielson challenged Omega to a match to determine the better man. All that was on the line was pride and reputation.
In his first non-WWE match in over a decade, Danielson looked like a man freed. No longer was he performing WWE’s version of wrestling, he was just wrestling.
This was Bryan’s first five-star match (if you care about such things) and arguably the best match in Dynamite history. Time will tell how it holds up, but for now it can only rank near the top.
2. Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa – March 17, 2021
It cannot be stressed enough how rare a women’s match like this has been on North American television.
There have been matches that have matched its quality and other matches that have come close to its brutality, but you will struggle to find a match that better combines quality and violence than this one.
Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa closed out the March 17, 2021 episode of AEW Dynamite with an insane Lights Out match. To date, it is the best of its kind since AEW’s launch.
The picture of Baker covered in blood is iconic and this match helped propel her to the AEW Women’s Championship less than two months later.
Other matches may have been better, but no match was as iconic as this one in Dynamite’s second year.
1. The Brodie Lee Memorial Show – December 30, 2020
There was no question about what would fill the top spot on this list, we only wish that it didn’t have to.
The passing of Brodie Lee (Jon Huber) shook the wrestling world. The amount of shock, disbelief and incredible sadness felt by everyone in the business was immeasurable.
On December 30, 2020, AEW Dynamite was presented as the Brodie Lee Celebration of Life. The single most emotionally charged wrestling show in recent memory, it was one of the most well-produced shows any company has ever done.
Touching tributes to Brodie Lee aired throughout the show in the form of statements and matches. It is a crushing watch but it is also the best piece of wrestling AEW has ever created.
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