10 Greatest matches of the first year of AEW Dynamite
This week marked the one year anniversary of AEW Dynamite's debut episode. On Oct. 2, 2019, fans filled the sold-out Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. and 1.4 million viewers watched on TNT for this historic event. The first episode of Dynamite was the first time a non-WWE company to air on national cable television in 18 years.
Over the past year, we have seen many memorable moments and matches from the weekly Wednesday night show. AEW Dynamite has featured the formation of The Inner Circle, the first-ever women's and tag team champions, and the debut of many stars. Some of the matches showcased on Dynamite have been the best in the company's short history.
Fans have seen SCU become the first AEW World Tag Team Champions over the Lucha Bros, Orange Cassidy battle Chris Jericho, Eddie Kingston debut in a No DQ Match against Cody for the TNT Championship, and most recently, Darby Allin finally overcome Ricky Starks. In this article, we will look back at the 10 greatest matches in the first year of AEW Dynamite.
#10. Cody vs. Wardlow in a Steel Cage Match - AEW Dynamite 2/19/20
The Feb. 19 episode of AEW Dynamite in Atlanta, GA might have been the greatest episode of the series so far. In front of a sold-out crowd inside of State Farm Arena, Cody met Wardlow in a long-anticipated Steel Cage Match. This was the first Cage Match in AEW history here.
The story going in was that Cody had to accept this match to finally get his hands on MJF at AEW Revolution. This match was also Wardlow's in-ring debut. The muscle behind the self-proclaimed Face of AEW went out there and brutalized Cody for most of this contest. Cody sustained a crimson mask that became one of the most gruesome visuals in the first year of AEW Dynamite. However, the climax of this match became one of the top moments in AEW history.
To put his opponent away, Cody climbed to the top of the fifteen-foot high structure and executed a death-defying moonsault onto a standing Wardlow to gain the victory. Cody has gone on to say that to this day he regrets this spot, believing that he had a heart attack doing this insane spot. This made for one of the most emotionally stirring conclusions to an episode of AEW Dynamite yet.