AEW presented eight pay-per-view events in 2023. The Jacksonville-based promotion kicked off its PPV action with Revolution in March. Double or Nothing came next in May. Tony Khan once again partnered with NJPW to co-produce the second annual Forbidden Door event in June.
All In marked AEW’s debut in the UK, with over 70,000 fans in attendance at the historic Wembley Stadium on August 27. All out took place just six days later in Chicago. WrestleDream emanated from Seattle and saw the debut of Adam Copeland (formerly Edge).
Full Gear rocked California in November, and Worlds End capped off all the action and drama for 2023 on December 30. Let’s look at some of the best matches that went down at the aforementioned PPV events:
CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe (“Real World Championship” Match – AEW All In)
CM Punk and Samoa Joe gave AEW fans one of the best moments of 2023 when they came face-to-face on Collision. The Samoan Submission Machine and Bullet Club Gold lost to CMFTR that night.
Joe and Punk met again, this time for the Straight Edge Superstar’s “Real” Worlds Title at All In on August 27 in London. This turned out to be a great opener to a historic show. The match featured many callbacks to their legendary encounters from ROH days.
Punk cut himself open after he was sent head-first into the announcer’s booth by Joe. The crowd was really into the match from bell to bell. Punk pulled off a rare Pepsi Plunge to put away his longtime rival.
The rest is history.
Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland (Texas Death – Full Gear)
I thought MJF versus Bryan Danielson was the best AEW feud of 2023 until Page versus Strickland happened. These two men tore the house down at WrestleDream. They took things up a notch at Full Gear.
The Texas Death match features some spots that are too extreme for my taste. Still, that doesn’t take away anything from the amazing storytelling that took place inside the squared circle. For those who aren’t familiar with Swerve’s game, I highly recommend his feud with the Hangman.
Jon Moxley vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW International Championship Match – All Out)
All Out was a solid PPV from top to bottom. The main event between Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy defied expectations. Cassidy proved yet again he could go toe-to-toe with some of the best in the business.
From Mox’s persistent demand for Cassidy to stay down to the champion’s fiery comebacks, this match exuded the right mix of in-ring storytelling and drama. In the end, Mox ended Cassidy’s iconic International Champion run for the better.
MJF vs. Bryan Danielson (60-Minute Iron Man Match – Revolution 2023)
MJF’s first major opponent for the AEW World Championship in 2023 was none other than Bryan Danielson. The American Dragon was put in a series of grueling matches to earn a championship opportunity against the Devil Himself.
After passing every test that came his way, Danielson met Maxwell for the world title in front of a red-hot crowd in San Francisco. This was a hard-hitting battle with excellent in-ring storytelling. MJF proved just how good he is between the ropes in this match.
Danielson, on the other hand, is truly one of the best wrestlers in the world. The Dragon brought the Devil to the brink of exhaustion. The match went past 60 minutes without a definitive conclusion.
MJF shocked the world when he made Danielson tap out to the LeBell Lock as the clock struck 65 minutes and 15 seconds.
Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega (IWGP United States Title Match – Forbidden Door)
Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega tore the house down at Wrestle Kingdom 17. The bitter ran it back for the IWGP United States Championship at Forbidden Door in Canada on June 25. Ospreay had a huge chip on his shoulder going into the match.
The Aerial Assassin had spent months in Omega’s shadow during the lead-up to their encounter. Both men went back and forth for nearly 40 minutes. Every exchange had months of pent-up aggression behind it.
The match arguably exceeded their Wrestle Kingdom encounter from a storyline perspective. Don Callis and his shenanigans were definitely a downside to the match, which was otherwise excellent.
Honorable Mentions
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW WrestleDream)
- Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin (Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match – WrestleDream)
- Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks (Strap Match – AEW All Out)
- Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita (All Out)
- Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland (WrestleDream)
Also read: Best NXT PLE Matches Of 2023
