This Wednesday, AEW will return to Ontario, Calif., to commemorate the 300th episode of its flagship program, “Dynamite.”
To celebrate the momentous occasion, here are the 10 greatest matches in “Dynamite” history.
Honorable Mentions
CM Punk vs. MJF
Dynamite #122
2/2/2022
Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia
Dynamite #150: House of the Dragon
8/17/2022
Darby Allin vs. Samoa Joe
Dynamite #174
2/1/2023
Samoa Joe vs. HOOK
Dynamite #224
1/17/2024
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CM Punk, Sting, & Darby Allin vs. MJF & FTR
Dynamite #116: Holiday Bash – Tag 1
12/22/2021
Selfishly, I must admit that this match is a sentimental favorite of mine. While I love all six competitors, my affinity for Sting and CM Punk can’t be understated. At the height of my adolescence, this was the dream pairing. And, prior to 2021, witnessing these two monoliths join forces would have been unthinkable.
The addition of Darby Allin, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and FTR—with the historic Greensboro Coliseum as the backdrop—made this a recipe for near perfection.
While the match isn’t without its flaws, its an example of six-man tag team wrestling at its finest.
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Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Dynamite #289: Spring BreakThru
4/16/2025
In 2024, Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita clashed as fellow members of the Don Callis Family. On April 16, 2025, for the special “Spring BreakThru” edition of “Dynamite,” they had their long awaited rematch—in the semifinals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. This time, however, they were bitter enemies.
Ospreay and Takeshita will be pillars of the pro-wrestling world for the next decade. This was yet another installment in their blossoming rivalry, demonstrating their undeniable chemistry. While the “Aerial Assassin” may be “on another level” than most foes, the “Alpha” stands on equal footing.
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Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker
Dynamite #76: St. Patrick’s Day Slam
3/17/2021
No match has pushed the envelope more for nationally-syndicated American pro-wrestling in this century, than Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker’s unsanctioned lights-out match at St. Patrick’s Day Slam has.
This wasn’t a technical marvel or the culmination of a storied program. It was a bloodbath though, and an absolute triumph for women’s wrestling.
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Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Page
Dynamite #118
1/5/2022
On Dec. 15, 2021 at the special “Winter is Coming” edition of “Dynamite,” the AEW World Champion,“Hangman” Adam Page, staged his first title defense against Bryan Danielson. The match was an instant classic, resulting in a 60-minute time-limit draw.
A rematch was imminent and, three weeks later, the “American Dragon” was given one more opportunity. The occasion was unprecedented. None of the previous AEW World Champions faced the same challenger in consecutive defenses.
This match lives in the specter of their previous bout and while it never manages to supersede its antecedent, is an extraordinary sequel in it’s own right.
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Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida
Dynamite #168: Holiday Bash 2022 – Tag 1
12/22/2022
Jamie Hayter is no stranger to physical affairs. In fact, she relishes in them. And, it’s an environment that Hikaru Shida excels in.
This match captured the essence of early-nineties AJW. Not in a masturbatory way, either. It’s hard-hitting, suspenseful, and utterly unforgettable. And, unlike prior watershed women’s matches in AEW, it didn’t rely on blood-letting or theatrics. It accentuates all of Hayter and Shida’s strengths, without underlining any of their weaknesses.
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FTR vs. The Young Bucks
Dynamite #131
4/6/2022
Some rivalries transcend circumstance. I firmly believe that FTR and The Young Bucks were destined to be enemies.
Philosophically, their approaches to professional wrestling are antithetical. The Young Bucks post-modern nihilism starkly contrasts Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s reverence for pro-wrestling’s storied traditions. Therein lies the underlying themes of this match.
Ostensibly, FTR are defending their ROH World Tag Team Championships and AAA World Tag Team Championships. Beneath the surface, FTR are defending the integrity of professional wrestling.
In 2022, these two teams stood at the pinnacle (no pun intended) of tag team wrestling. Still, this match managed to exceed my wildest expectations. This would have been a statisfying main event for any Pay-Per-View supercard. Instead, it was just another Wednesday night.
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Darby Allin vs. Will Ospreay
Dynamite #272: Holiday Bash – Tag 1
12/18/2024
DISCLAIMER: I had the privilege of attending last year’s “Holiday Bash” in Washington, D.C., and witnessing this match live, so please bear in mind that my feelings towards it may be a little skewed. Objectivity is dead.
Darby Allin and Will Ospreay crossed paths amidst last year’s “Continental Classic.” For Ospreay, victory would mean taking a decisive lead in the “Gold League” standings. For Allin, it was do-or-die, and that desperation was palpable.
On paper, this match sounds like a go-go-go fireworks extravaganza. Instead, Allin finds a way to ground the “Aerial Assassin,” giving everything more weight. There’s an efficiency here that Ospreay often lacks, dismantling Allin with surgical precision. Allin refused to concede though, culminating in one of the best matches in last year’s “C2.”
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Will Ospreay vs. MJF
Dynamite #250
7/17/2024
While the AEW International Championship was on the line in this contest, the title felt like an afterthought.
Before Will Ospreay joined AEW, Maxwell Jacob Friedman was widely regarded as the most valuable asset in all of professional wrestling. For MJF, this was an opportunity to reaffirm that sentiment. For Ospreay, this was yet another opportunity to test his mettle against AEW’s finest.
Ospreay and Friedman battled for a staggering 59 minutes and 57 seconds, exhausting their arsenals to gain a decisive advantage. This match could have been the main event of any Pay-Per-View on AEW’s schedule and it would have been a showstopper. Fortunately for us, it was on network television.
This was a love-letter.
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Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Dynamite #103: Grand Slam – Tag 1
9/22/2021
When Bryan Danielson debuted in 2021 at the end of “All Out,” AEW had reached a fever pitch. The promotion was week’s removed from the arrival of CM Punk and “All Out” proved to be one of the seminal Pay-Per-Views of the century.
Kenny Omega was in the midst of his vaunted run as the “Belt Collector,” having simultaneously held the AEW World Championship, AAA Mega Championship, and the Impact World Championship. With the top single’s prize around his waist, Omega was the proverbial engine—powering the upstart promotion to new heights.
Enter the “American Dragon.”
For years, Danielson was revered as the best professional wrestler alive. If anyone could challenge that claim, it was Omega.
Over 20,000 fans descended on Arthur Ashe Stadium to find out whether or not the self-proclaimed “God of Pro-Wrestling” could slay the “American Dragon.” The atmosphere was electric, fueling both men to reach ethereal heights.
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“Hangman” Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson
Dynamite #115: Winter is Coming
12/15/2021
Last year, I devised a similar list—ranking the five best matches in “Dynamite” history. In that exercise, this match ranked third. However, upon further reflection (i.e. rewatching all of the matches I considered for this list), I’m confident that this was the only correct answer.
“Hangman” Adam Page and Bryan Danielson’s first encounter is the greatest match in Wednesday Night “Dynamite” history.
When Page defeated Kenny Omega at “Full Gear” and captured the AEW World Championship—the promotion’s ace had finally emerged. However, the newly crowned king would have to test his mettle against the “American Dragon.”
Since arriving in AEW, Danielson was undefeated in single’s competition—having scored a draw against the former champion. Having won the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament, Danielson have rightfully earned another shot at the world champion. And, with “Revolution” over three-and-a-half months away, the most fitting stage for their titanic clash was “Winter is Coming.”
While Page had never wrestled more than 40 minutes, Danielson was no stranger to a marathon—so the “American Dragon” resolved to take Page the distance. And, it’s within that framework that Page thrived, desperately trying to acclimate himself to the deep waters.
At the eleventh hour, “Hangman” and Danielson managed to stage the best match of 2021. Fortunately, it happened to be on network television.
Here’s to 300 more episodes. Long live “Dynamite.”
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