AEW Double or Nothing takes place in Jacksonville this weekend, featuring an absolutely stacked card.
The event marks All Elite Wrestling’s second anniversary, and what a couple of years it’s been for Tony Khan and company.
Despite the pandemic, the promotion has gone from strength to strength and shows no sign of slowing down.
Without further ado, here are nine AEW matches you need to check out.
9. Best Friends vs. Santana & Ortiz (Parking Lot Brawl) – Dynamite (September 2020)
Last year, the Best Friends and Santana & Ortiz got the wrestling world talking with one of the most entertaining TV matches in recent history.
The bout, which took place in a parking lot, was packed with innovative spots including a brutal double powerbomb onto a car windshield.
Dave Meltzer gave it one of his famous five-star ratings while hardcore legend Mick Foley also praised the match on Twitter, calling it a “world class brawl”.
The unique yet thrilling main event is a great example of how Dynamite has something for absolutely everyone.
8. MJF vs. Jungle Boy – Double or Nothing 2020
MJF and Jungle Boy are two of the best young talents in the wrestling world and their match at Double or Nothing stole the show.
Sometimes wrestling is best when it’s kept simple, which was the case here as the cocky heel was taken to his limits by the defiant underdog.
Both men played their roles perfectly and there were many convincing near falls before the eventual finish.
We’re sure we will see many more great matches between the pair in years to come, and maybe one day the AEW World Title will be on the line.
7. Cody Rhodes vs. Brodie Lee (Dog Collar Match) – Dynamite (October 2020)
Sometimes it’s good to go old school, and that’s exactly what Cody Rhodes and Brodie Lee did on Dynamite.
The pair put on a thrilling Dog Collar match – a great example of how classic stipulations still have a place in the wrestling world.
The feud helped put the TNT Title on the map, paving the way for the likes of Darby Allin and Miro.
Sadly, this would be the final time Lee stepped between the ropes before his tragic death. His legacy will live on through AEW.
6. The Pinnacle vs. The Inner Circle – Blood and Guts
There was only one match violent enough for the war between the Inner Circle and the Pinnacle – Blood and Guts, of course.
Fans had waited months to see AEW’s take on the historic WarGames stipulation and it certainly delivered.
The action was brutal and the pacing was almost perfect, with the heels taking advantage of the traditional numbers advantage.
The final stretch solidified MJF as one of the best villains on the planet, giving us perhaps the most iconic visual in the promotion’s short history.
5. Kenny Omega vs. PAC (Ironman Match) – Dynamite (February 2020)
Big matches are usually saved for pay-per-view events but last year AEW treated us to a classic Ironman match on Dynamite.
It was the perfect stipulation for Omega and PAC to showcase their incredible in-ring ability and bring their heated rivalry to an end.
The drama built to an epic crescendo as the bout headed to sudden death (just like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels’ famous encounter 24 years prior).
It was an absolute masterclass in wrestling psychology and it’s no surprise that both men are fighting for the World Title this coming Sunday.
4. Young Bucks vs. FTR – Full Gear 2020
Fans had dreamed of seeing the Young Bucks and FTR face off for years, and when it finally happened they were not left disappointed.
The match was a perfect clash of styles, pitting the challengers’ speed and agility against the champs’ more traditional offence.
It was a celebration of tag team wrestling, featuring callbacks to the Hardys, the Dudley Boyz, the Hart Foundation and even more great teams.
If that wasn’t enough, the finish was a stroke of genius years in the making as Cash Wheeler tried to beat the Bucks at their own game.
3. Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker (Unsanctioned) – St Patrick’s Day Slam
AEW’s women’s division has come on leaps and bounds over the past few months, and Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker’s memorable Lights Out match made a statement to the wrestling world.
The action certainly lived up to the violent stipulation, with chairs, ladders and tables all used as both women put their bodies on the line.
Khan put his trust in the women’s division by putting the match on last on a stacked special episode of Dynamite, and his decision certainly paid off.
Baker, in particular, came out looking like one of the biggest stars in all of wrestling.
2. Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega & Adam Page – Revolution 2020
One of the biggest success stories in AEW’s short history is its stacked tag team division.
Tag team wrestling has become an afterthought elsewhere but this certainly wasn’t the case at Revolution.
The match combined great in-ring action with a compelling story, with the Bucks torn between their friendship with Omega & Page and their desperation to get their hands on the title.
The post-match scenes were just as gripping as Page’s awesome character development continued. One year on, ‘Hangman’ is one of the most popular names on the entire roster.
1. Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin Rhodes – Double or Nothing 2019
The match that put AEW on the map! Two years ago, the Rhodes brothers put on an epic bout filled with emotion and great storytelling.
After a frustrating time in WWE, it was awesome to see the man formerly known as Goldust in a marquee match in front of a sold-out Las Vegas crowd.
The former WCW star proved he hadn’t missed a beat as he went toe-to-toe with his younger brother.
The post-match scenes were equally memorable as Cody cut one of the best promos in recent history, asking his brother to team up one more time.
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