All Elite Wrestling

This year was about the evolution and the meeting of generations, as the stars who made AEW's existence even possible (Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, etc...) encountered those who lead the charge today, (Adam Page, MJF, etc...). AEW has become and established force and one of the best wrestling promotions in the world.

All Elite Wrestling has broken down the barriers between the top wrestling companies in the United States and the promotions that were once viewed as competition. The term, “Forbidden Door,“ became synonymous with AEW shattering expectations of working relationships by engaging with promotions throughout the United States, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. It hosted Forbidden Door, a groundbreaking Pay-Per-View event, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It sent former AEW All-Atlantic Champion PAC to defend his title in both England and Ireland. AEW World Trios Champion Penta El Zero Miedo wrestled a Match of the Year candidate in Mexico at AAA's TripleMania XXX. Frankie Kazarian even returned to Impact Wrestling through the working relationship between the two companies and will challenge Josh Alexander for the World Title. We even got to see countless AEW wrestlers pop up around the American independent wrestling scene, including AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. In an industry that has been all about closed doors, rivalries, and exclusivity, AEW has proven that a cohesive community is what drives a healthy industry. As a fan of both AEW and professional wrestling as a whole, it doesn't get much more rewarding than that.

Mainstream professional wrestling in the United States has been referred to as sports entertainment for quite some time. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, as I myself am a fan of that formula, there has been a growing hunger for a greater focus on what happens in the ring. While wrestling promotions across the world have adhered to this approach for decades, it has scarcely occurred on an accessible level in the U.S. Over the course of the past three years, All Elite Wrestling has gone a long way towards turning this reality on its head. Led by some of the greatest wrestlers of their time, including Bryan Danielson, FTR, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks, AEW has created a wrestling-centric show with an audience of roughly a million viewers per week. Beyond meeting the demand, AEW has provided professional wrestling fans with a unique opportunity to turn on major television networks in TBS and TNT, and watch a product that is in line with what they could previously only consistently find internationally or on the independent wrestling scene. Throw in unique characters like MJF and Orange Cassidy, top stars in Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley, and incredible up-and-coming talent such as Jade Cargill, Jamie Hayter, Ricky Starks, and Wardlow, and you have a company that is turning what we know about mainstream wrestling on its head.