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Back in 2019, when AEW stepped foot in a world dominated by a juggernaut in WWE, no one thought that Tony Khan's promotion would provide tough competition. Well, that's most likely because no company could fill the void left by WCW all those years ago.
But surprisingly, All Elite Wrestling did, and reached even higher heights in no time. The fact is that in such a short history, the company was able to produce some unforgettable moments.
Some of these unforgettable moments have come in the form of off-the-air promos that AEW stars have delivered. Aside from WWE, does anyone remember a heartfelt promo speech given by superstars from other promotions?
It must be hard to recall. However, the credit goes to some of the AEW stars for emotionally developing their place in people's hearts through their passionate promos.
In this article, we'll take a look at the five best promos delivered by AEW stars after the show went off the air.
#5 AEW's Eddie Kingston took numerous shots at WWE (June 26th, 2021)
We will start our list with the most recent one, where Eddie Kingston took shots at WWE on the June 26th episode of AEW Dynamite. The show itself was remarkable for a lot of reasons.
The episode aired on the Saturday night slot, which is only the second time the AEW has produced the show on this day of the week. The company made the night even more special by having an emphatic World Championship match between Kenny Omega and Jungle Boy.
After the show went off the air, Eddie Kingston came out to the ring with Penta El Zero Miedo. Kingston started by putting over Jungle Boy. He asked fans to applaud AEW's young sensation for putting on a great fight against Omega.
Kingston then proceeded to take various jibes at WWE, stating that AEW listens to their fans more than WWE:
"Because the competition sometimes doesn’t want to hear there fans. Oh, I guess I’m burning another bridge — surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, AEW cares about their fans. Because we are not here just to get ourselves a paycheck" said Kingston
AEW's Eddie Kingston also added that people won't see exciting main event matches in other promotions. This wasn't it as he said that legends in their company are treated respectfully, unlike in other companies:
"You saw a match between Kenny Omega and my dude, Jungle Boy, that you will not see on the other channel. You will not see legends who are respected on the other channel. You will not see people like me and my best friend (Penta) on the other channel. And you will not see the heart that everybody in that locker room has on the other channel. Ladies and gentlemen, I was supposed to send you home happy, but I’m speaking from my heart. The bottom line is this: We are AEW. We will see you Wednesday, and we want to hear you."
The fact is that every word that came out of Eddie Kingston's mouth was too relatable. The aftermath of the promo sparked chaos among the wrestling fanbase. Some appreciated Kingston, while others came forward to defend WWE. Nevertheless, this promo will go down as one of the most memorable in AEW's history.
#4 AEW star Cody Rhodes reveals how he fell in love with wrestling (Feb 20, 2020)
A year after AEW came into existence, Cody Rhodes delivered perhaps the most passionate promo of his entire career. On the February 20th episode of AEW Dynamite, Cody Rhodes faced Wardlow in AEW's first-ever steel cage match in the company's history.
The bout witnessed some gruesome spots, one of which was Cody Rhodes' moonsault from the top of the cage, which helped him win the match.
Despite the blood pouring down from his head, the American Nightmare grabbed the mic after the AEW show went off the air to talk about his incredible wrestling journey. Cody Rhodes stated that he didn't know he wanted to be a wrestler, but he saw his father, Dusty Rhodes, getting a big pop from fans, which made him realize that he wanted to become a famous star just like his father.
Rhodes also revealed how fans were too harsh on him in his early days but acknowledged the fact that they made him overcome every obstacle:
"It's about 200 yards away. It's a street called Baker street, and it is the exact spot I fell in love with wrestling. I'm going to tell you why. I came to a show; I could have been 8 years old, and I knew my dad was famous, but I really didn't know why. I didn't grew up in his prime, I didn't get to see a lot of classics, I didn't get to see [Arn Anderson] break his leg. Hey, I didn't get to see it. I didn't know I wanted to be a wrestler, but I knew 'I want to be famous, like he is. When I got into wrestling at 15, when I debuted in 2007, you guys were pretty hard on me. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate you being hard on me, it made me come back week, after week, after week. Somebody asked me earlier if I was going to jump off that cage," he added. "In my home town? You bet your ass, I'm jumping off that cage"
It was indeed a heartfelt promo. AEW provided a great platform for Cody Rhodes to prove that he can be an excellent talker for the company.
#3 AEW's Darby Allin reveals the importance of the TNT Championship in his career (May 12th, 2021)
Often deemed a man of few words, AEW's Darby Allin cut an emotional promo on the May 12th episode of Dynamite earlier this year. It was the same night that brought an end to Darby Allin's TNT Championship reign.
One couldn't have expected him to lose the title the way he did. One of AEW's biggest signings, Miro, decimated him throughout the match before making Allin pass out to the Game Over submission, snatching away the gold in the process.
Following the match, a heartbroken Darby Allin explained why the TNT Championship meant so much to him. He stated that he didn't need to win any other top titles in the company. Allin further expressed his desire to become the TNT Champion again:
"When I became TNT Champion I told everybody it was the only championship that meant anything to me, and I mean that 100%. People ask me "When are you gonna win the big one? When are you gonna win the AEW Heavyweight Championship? I looked them dead in the eye and said "I don't need that s***. I need the TNT Championship. I don't need to collect any other belts from anywhere else in this world. I need the TNT Championship, and I guarantee you, every single one of you here this is not the last time I am TNT Champion. Thank you for all of the support, it means the world to me," said Darby Allin.
AEW's Darby Allin held the TNT Championship for almost 200 days. Judging by his emotional speech, one could say that Darby Allin wants to cement his legacy as one of the best TNT Champions of all time.
#2 AEW's Jon Moxley speaks after surviving the Barbedwire deathmatch (March 8, 2021)
The infamous Barbed Wire death match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship divided the fanbase. It wasn't the bout that disappointed them as both men left it all in the ring with blood pouring down from their heads. Fans were left outraged at the Revolution event after witnessing ringside explosions and fireworks misfire with AEW's Eddie Kingston covering Jon Moxley in the ring.
Following the match, the worn-out Moxley grabbed the mic and addressed the limited capacity crowd. The Purveyor of Violence even took a shot at Kenny Omega for the misfiring explosives:
"Jacksonville, I think me and all y’all can agree on one thing. Kenny Omega may be a tough son of a bi**h, but he can’t make an exploding ring worth a s**t! I’ve seen more dangerous shit on Ridiculousness on MTV, what the f**k was that? I’m still standing, bitch! We thank you guys, man, for coming out here during these tough times, every time, and watching the best PPV product, the best wrestlers in the world bustin’ their a** from the first match on the card all the way to the last. You see everything from the first match to the last. You get your money’s worth. If there’s one thing we do out here at AEW, because we love wrestling just like you do, we bust our ass! I had one goal tonight: to lay it all on the line, to bare my soul in this ring and work my a** off like it was the last night I was ever gonna get, the blessing and the opportunity to do it for you fans, and I accomplished that tonight." stated Moxley
AEW's Jon Moxley appreciated fans coming out during the pandemic era. Mox's promo also justified his passion for the wrestling business even after risking his life in a brutal bout against The Best Bout Machine.
You can check out his promo here.
#1 AEW's Tony Khan gives a special tribute to the late Brodie Lee (December 31, 2021)
The unfortunate passing of AEW star Brodie Lee on December 26 last year stunned the wrestling world. Several fellow stars from different promotions paid tribute to Brodie Lee. AEW also did the same in their own special way by producing a Dynamite show to honor the life of the Exalted One.
After the show went off the air, a tearful Cody Rhodes came out in the ring and stated that the whole wrestling community had been deeply affected by the untimely passing of Brodie Lee. He then introduced Lee's son, the Negative one:
"Over the past week we've heard all these stories of all these different people. These degrees of separation. [These people] were positively affected by Brodie Lee. There has never been a wrestler in every company in every locker room with every member of management to have that one-on-one connection and that's why everyone is affected, so deeply. In short, he was a beautiful man. And he leaves behind a beautiful legacy and I want to introduce you that legacy right now. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Negative One - Brodie Lee Jr!" Cody Rhodes said
No. 10 of the Dark Order and Amanda Huber also shared the ring with Brodie Lee's boots and bandana laying in the middle.
AEW President Tony Khan further awarded Brodie Lee's son that iteration of the TNT Championship for life. He then grabbed the mic and gave a short heartfelt speech to the late Brodie Lee:
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here tonight. We're here to honor one of the not only wrestling's greatest champions, but also one of wrestling's greatest men. Amanda [and the rest of his] family, they're here tonight, and we put a special tribute together. There's no better way for us to end the show tonight than this. So here's a tribute to a great man, Brodie Lee," Tony Khan said.
The company then aired a special video to look back at some of the most memorable moments of Brodie Lee's life. The whole segment was soul-stirring for everyone watching AEW Dynamite.
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