Top 5 AEW Matches in 2019

On January 1, 2019, The Elite announced a brand new wrestling promotion called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and in this past year, it has put on some amazing matches. Dynamite has only been on-air since early October, but with four big Pay-Per-View events leading up to the TNT debut for the newfound company, we have managed to see plenty of incredible professional wrestling.

The entire roster has been working hard to make AEW a success, and in 2020, if they expand on the roster, we could be looking at another amazing year from the company.

Here, we look back on the year that was for the company and rank the top 5 matches of pro-wrestling's newest promotion - All Elite Wrestling.

#5 Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega - Lights Out Match (Full Gear)

This is a match people were wanting to see ever since Jon Moxley made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing, and after his elbow injury canceled out their All Out contest, wrestling fans were at a fever pitch for this one. Because of this, both men wanted to raise the stakes, so Omega decided to go into Mox's world, making this one an unsanctioned match, and boy did it get brutal!

From garbage cans, mouse traps, and broken glass to one of the most dangerous-looking barbed wire structures you'll ever see, this one delivered for sure, even though it had a polarizing effect among the online community. Whether you are a stickler for gore or not, there's no doubting that the two men went all out and delivered a match worthy of their high-stakes, personal rivalry, making it clear that these are two of the top guys in the company, ready to work any style in order to get to the top in All Elite Wrestling.

#4 The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros (Double or Nothing)

When AEW was announced, Matt and Nick Jackson promised that tag team wrestling would be emphasized, and given the quality of this contest, it's hard to argue that they've not done that. The quality of tag team wrestling has been top-notch in the company throughout the year, but on All Elite Wrestling's very first show, these four incredible performers set the bar very high.

The action was fast-paced throughout, just as you'd expect if you've seen these teams wrestle before, and anyone tuning into AEW for the very first time may have been won over immediately. With The Young Bucks' jaw-dropping tandem offense and the unique arsenal of both Pentagon Jr. and Fenix, this one was beautiful from beginning to end, with a surprise finish that saw the Jackson brothers come out as the brand new AEW World Tag Team Champions.

#3 Cody vs. Chris Jericho (Full Gear)

Chris Jericho has arguably been the best wrestler on the planet in 2019, proving yet again that he's the master of reinvention, and with Cody's breathtaking promo heading into this one, it had a big fight feel. Despite criticisms that two former WWE stars were main eventing an AEW PPV in year one, they made this work with a great story.

Sure, the work-rate wasn't at the same level as some of the other young performers on the roster, but given how great these men are with working a crowd, they made it work and had a huge, shocking finish. With Rhodes trapped in a brutal Walls of Jericho, his cornerman MJF threw in the towel, before turning on him after the bout, and that was just another phase of an incredible contest that proves these are two of the best performers on the planet.

#2 The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros - Escalara De La Meurte (All Out)

This rivalry was a huge part of All Elite Wrestling in 2019, and after the classic we've talked about at Double or Nothing, the four men had to raise the stakes at All Out with the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the line. The way they did that was by taking part in the Escalera De La Muerte (Ladder of Death), and at several points throughout this contest, the fans felt like death was only seconds away for one of these men.

It may have been somewhat of a spot-fest, but given what we'd seen in this rivalry so far, that was fine, because they took the brutality to the level that this match needed. Ultimately, it was the duo of Fenix and Pentagon Jr. that came out on top, and while we will see more of this rivalry down the road, it was undoubtedly the crescendo that this hard-hitting rivalry truly deserved.

#1 Cody vs. Dustin (Double or Nothing)

Cody Rhodes has faced many criticisms for his wrestling ability since leaving WWE, but one thing that has never been questioned is his story-telling ability, and this was on display at the MGM Grand. Emotions ran high in the lead-up to this contest, and immediately, both men showed that they weren't holding anything back, and that saw Dustin get busted open brutally throughout.

The crowd in attendance was eating it all up, including several emotional 'Dusty' chants, and by the end of it, everyone knew they'd just experienced an all-time classic by two incredibly overlooked performers. The two men shared an embrace following the match, and given that this was the first PPV event under the All Elite Wrestling banner, it set the tone for the company going forward and proved that both men are still just as capable as anyone in the wrestling business.