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The COVID-19 pandemic changed things drastically for AEW and other wrestling promotions all around the world. The lockdown protocols meant fans could no longer attend the shows, creating intrigue and dread in equal measure as to how companies will manage to stay relevant.
AEW turned to Jacksonville, Florida, and made the Daily's Place their home during this time. While it was strange to watch wrestling without fans, AEW did its best to come up with creative ideas to somewhat replicate the crowd effect. Lower card wrestlers surrounded the barricades with plexiglass in front of them to cheer or boo stars and create some kind of atmosphere.
Starting their tour with Road Rager in Miami, AEW fans will be back in full voice. Despite the constraints, AEW Dynamite delivered a great product, leaving us with some incredible and unforgettable moments.
In this article, we will look back at the 5 best moments from AEW's time at Daily's Place and will attempt to rank them.
#5 AEW Blood and Guts: The Immortal Promo
AEW Blood and Guts got delayed by a year. The match was supposed to take place in 2020 itself but the promotion pushed it by a year due to the pandemic.
The WarGames style match finally took place between the Inner Circle and the MJF-led faction, the Pinnacle. Fans had been expecting the match ever since the feud between the two top factions began and AEW did a superb job of building it up.
Inner Circle's leader Chris Jericho was the victim of a vicious beatdown at the hands of the Pinnacle that culminated in him getting powerbombed off the stage.
The Inner Circle responded with a beatdown of their own as they took out each member of the Pinnacle.
The following week, Inner Circle led by Jericho addressed the feud. Jericho took the mic and spoke non-stop for close to eight minutes in what Jim Ross described as 'The Immortal Promo'.
JR wasn't wrong with his analysis. Jericho possesses a unique ability on the mic where he elevates his opponents while berating them. That's exactly what he did as he addressed the faction and everyone in it initially and then picked them all apart individually.
He concluded with a challenge for a Blood and Guts match to end his iconic promo. The hype for the bout was through the roof and this promo played a huge role in that.
#4 First AEW Dynamite of the pandemic era
AEW Dynamite aired on March 18, 2020 from Daily's Place for the first episode of the 'pandemic era'. As he often does, Cody Rhodes opened the show in the ring surrounded by an empty arena and dark lights and addressed viewers.
The Elite joined him and they promised entertainment despite the lack of fans. It was a great start to what was a memorable show.
The card was loaded, with a huge main event announced and the in-ring action delivered. The Elite and Inner Circle squared off for an advantage in the Blood and Guts match. The Jericho-led faction ended up with the win. The night wasn't over as Matt Jackson revealed the fifth and final member of their team.
Jericho could not believe his eyes as Matt Hardy appeared and disappeared from the stands. It was a well done reveal and created a lot of intrigue for an already hyped match.
It wasn't the only AEW debut on the show. The Dark Order had promised to reveal their leader, The Exalted One. It turned out to be the late, great Mr. Brodie Lee. Appearing on the screen in a stunning hoodie, he wasted no time and attacked SCU. The Dark Order was revitalized as a result and became a far more threatening faction in AEW.
Tons of in-ring action and two major debuts meant AEW delivered big time in their first empty arena show.
#3 Sting's AEW debut
Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks of Team Taz took on Cody Rhodes and Darbly Allin on the Winter is Coming episode of AEW Dynamite. After the match, the heels attacked their opponents. Just as Hobbs was going to strike Cody with the FTW Championship, the lights went off.
Unfamiliar music played around the arena as the titantron played a winter themed video. As fake snow fell, Sting appeared on TNT for the first time since 2001. Tony Schiavone elevated the moment with his iconic 'It's Stiiiiiiiiiiing' phrase.
Sting made his way to the ring and came face to face with Arn Anderson. He then made his exit amidst the falling snow. It was later revealed that Sting had signed a multi-year contract with AEW.
As most expected, Sting took Darby Allin under his wing, which saw the youngster's stock in AEW rise. What wasn't clear was if Sting would wrestle given he hadn't wrestled since 2015.
Those doubts were answered when Sting and Darby Allin took on 'Men of the Year' Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page. At AEW Double or Nothing 2021, a 61-year-old Sting rolled back the years and put on a beyond impressive performance.
Catching Scorpio Sky mid-air, The Icon dropped him with the Scorpion Deathdrop to pickup the win in a memorable match.
#2 Stadium Stampede at AEW Double or Nothing 2020
AEW needed a major blowoff match to cap off the longstanding feud between their two apex factions, Inner Circle and The Elite.
It was going to be a tricky task as both teams fed off the crowd's energy which was going to be absent. The pandemic era was nascent, so fans were unsure what AEW would come up with.
When the company announced a Stadium Stampede match, nobody knew what it meant other than the fact that it was going to happen on a football field.
Once the match got underway, fans got a kind of entertainment that had never been soon. Action-packed from start to finish, the bout featured multiple hilarious moments, call-backs to old gimmicks, and an iconic finish.
It was unadulterated entertainment and motivated the company to produce another one at AEW Double or Nothing 2021 between the Pinnacle and Inner Circle.
Although the second one wasn't as good as the first, both matches had memorable moments in spades and will always be a major highlight of the pandemic era across any company.
#1 AEW Dynamite: Brodie Lee Celebration of Life
The wrestling world was left in tears after the sad demise of Jon Huber aka AEW's Mr. Brodie Lee was announced. Wrestlers took to social media to show their support for his family. The following episode of AEW Dynamite was dedicated to the celebration of Mr. Brodie Lee's career and life.
Huber's family was present in the arena and the show opened with a ten-bell salute as the entire roster was present on stage. The entire episode was interspersed with moments from Jon Huber's life and wrestlers sharing stories and thoughts on Mr. Brodie.
The entire card featured matches involving Dark Order members and the main event was dubbed the "Brodie Lee Jr. Dream Match". Cody Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, and The Dark Order's Preston "10" Vance got together to take on Team Taz.
The first match saw Mr. Lee's former partner, Eric Rowan, make his AEW debut and clash with Wardlow. Huber's eldest son, signed by AEW as "-1", hit MJF with a kendo stick to the excitement of the crowd. After the match, Rowan lifted a sign saying, "Goodbye, for now, my brother. See you down the road."
The main event saw Vance hit Ricky Starks with a spinebuster to pick up the win. Cody Rhodes gave an emotional promo as Huber's family entered the ring and laid out Huber's boots and bandana in the center of the ring.
Tony Khan presented Brodie Jr. with the TNT Championship and declared him "TNT Champion for Life," retiring the red-strapped belt.
As unfortunate as Jon Huber's passing was, AEW did a tremendous job in honoring one of the most loved and respected members of the wrestling fraternity.
