All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show airs its 200th episode tonight. AEW Dynamite has been a weekly staple of professional wrestling programming since October 2019 and has helped establish AEW as one of the top promotions in the industry. With AEW pay-per-views only coming once per quarter, AEW Dynamite has often been supersized, with AEW President Tony Khan booking premium cards on the televised show on a regular basis. From specials like AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming and AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts, Wednesday’s primetime wrestling program has delivered hundreds of memorable moments over its first 200 episodes.
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Kenny Omega Wins AEW Title – AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming, December 2nd, 2020
The wrestling world stood still on December 2nd, 2020. Kenny Omega defeated Jon Moxley to become AEW World Champion through nefarious means, as he blasted the previously-undefeated Mox with a microphone en route to victory. Omega would then run through the backstage area with new manager Don Callis before Callis revealed an AEW alliance with Impact Wrestling.
Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker – AEW Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam, March 17th, 2021
AEW’s defining women’s rivalry remains Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Thunder Rosa. Over a year before a championship would get involved, Baker and Rosa headlined AEW Dynamite: St. Patrick’s Day Slam with their brutal Unsanctioned Lights Out Match. This match took both women and the entire division to a new level.
MJF Lashes Cody Rhodes – AEW Dynamite, February 6th, 2020
MJF first cemented himself as AEW’s devil in his feud with Cody Rhodes and especially exemplified his evil ways on the February 6th, 2020 edition of AEW Dynamite. In order for Rhodes to get a match against MJF at AEW Revolution, MJF mandated that Rhodes take ten lashes from his belt. Rhodes agreed, and what proceeded was one of the most uncomfortable segments in recent wrestling memory. While a tough watch, Rhodes being broken down in front of a live crowd remains one of AEW’s strongest storytelling tactics to this day.
MJF Declares Himself “The Devil” – AEW Dynamite, March 2nd, 2022
Continuing with uncomfortable MJF segments, this bloody confrontation between the self-proclaimed “devil himself” and CM Punk is one of AEW’s most cinematic moments. Following MJF revealing his “villain origin story” the previous week, Punk hit the ring to offer an olive branch to his rival. Punk warned MJF that his hate was not going to keep him warm but rather “burn him up,” citing moments from Punk’s own career where rage fueled him and resulted in acts he ultimately regretted. MJF initially accepted Punk’s peace offering before low-blowing him and leading an all out assault on the Second City Saint. MJF then hung a bludgeoned Punk by a dog collar, wiping Punk’s blood on a t-shirt that featured a photograph of a young MJF meeting Punk.
“You stupid old man, I’m a snake,” MJF said, harkening back to a famous Punk promo from Ring of Honor. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. And this Sunday, at Revolution, I’m going to show you and all these mindless sheep that I am the devil himself.”
Fans Chant “Holy S–t!” Before Danielson and Omega Lock Up – AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, September 22nd, 2021
Two weeks after his AEW debut, Bryan Danielson wrestled his first match for the company. The American Dragon came into the company guns blazing, going against then-AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in front of what is still AEW’s largest televised crowd to date inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. While the two would go on to have a 30-minute time limit draw classic, the real magic came mere seconds after the bell rang. Referee Paul Turner signaled for those famed three dings and 20,177 fans immediately gave a standing ovation, chanting “holy s–t!” before Danielson and Omega even locked up. The wide grin on Danielson’s face said it all.
Brodie Lee Tribute Show – AEW Dynamite, December 30th, 2020
Four days after the wrestling world lost Brodie Lee, AEW put on what many believe is the greatest tribute show in professional wrestling history. The entire AEW locker room expressed their love for the late wrestler, with many sharing stories about how great of a man the real-life Jon Huber was. The show ended with the tear-inducing moment of AEW President Tony Khan presenting Lee’s son, Brodie Lee Jr., with a TNT Championship as Cody Rhodes laid Lee’s purple bandana across his boots in the ring.
Malakai Black’s Shock Debut – AEW Dynamite: Road Rager, July 7th, 2021
While his booking since has been a bit of a rollercoaster, Malakai Black’s AEW arrival was picture perfect. The former NXT Champion had been released from WWE just the previous month, and given WWE’s standard 90-day no-compete clauses, no one expected Black to be in a wrestling ring until the fall at the earliest. Little did fans know, Black was actually on a 30-day no-compete clause, making his July 2021 AEW debut possible.ย
Aside from the behind-the-scenes surprise elements, Black’s debut itself was executed expertly. Earlier in the night, the lights went out during a match, but nothing came from it. Commentary played it off as a technical error, so when the second lights out moment came, fans expected it to be another malfunction. When the Quicken Loans Arena illuminated once more, Black stood in the ring, sporting an all-black suit and a terrifying smokey eye. He knocked out Arn Anderson with his patented spinning heel kick before turning his attention to Cody Rhodes.
Hangman Page Returns – AEW Dynamite, October 6th, 2021
The end of AEW’s longest story began on October 6th, 2021. After failing to defeat The Elite earlier that summer alongside Dark Order, meaning he lost out on his AEW World Title match, Hangman Page made his triumphant return to the company on this edition of AEW Dynamite. Revealing himself as the mystery entrant in this star-studded Casino Ladder Match, Hangman received a massive reaction from the Philadelphia crowd. Hangman went on to win the match, making him No. 1 Contender to Kenny Omega’s AEW World Title, and the rest is history.
MJF’s Pipebomb – AEW Dynamite, June 1st, 2022
It may not have led to AEW’s initial plan, but MJF’s pipebomb was a moment in time. After an AEW Double or Nothing weekend filled with rumors of unrest between MJF and AEW, MJF took to the microphone to address his loss to Wardlow as well as his frustrations with his employer on the June 1st, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite. Expertly opening by announcing that this was “Max Friedman talking,” blurring the lines between whether this was the fictionalized Maxwell Jacob Friedman or the real man of the same name behind the character, MJF went on to blast the fans and AEW President Tony Khan for not giving him the respect he felt he deserved before begging his boss to fire him.
Following this promo, MJF disappeared from AEW completely. Not only was he himself absent from weekly programming, but AEW removed all mentions of MJF on all of its social channels. The company never even uploaded this promo to its YouTube channel. While MJF eventually returned and all but dropped the disgruntled employee storyline, it’s possible that AEW revisits it come his looming free agency period in 2024.
It’s Sting! – AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming, December 2nd, 2021
Similar to the Malakai Black entry, Sting’s AEW debut came from out of nowhere. While reports leading up to AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming had hinted that The Icon was no longer on a WWE Legends deal, there was zero rumblings that Sting would go to AEW let alone pop up on this show specifically. As Team Taz brought the fight to Arn Anderson, Darby Allin, and Cody and Dustin Rhodes, the lights went out before a snowy landscape illuminated the Daily’s Place tron. From there, Sting emerged from the tunnel.
Beyond that, Sting’s silent in-ring confrontations told a wonderful story. Sting first approached the legend Anderson, a man he used to feud with during his longtime rivalry with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. He then turned to the veteran Dustin Rhodes, someone he rarely crossed paths with but the next in line in terms of in-ring experience. From there, Sting stared down Cody Rhodes, the present day star, and eventually locked eyes with Darby Allin, the future top dog.
