The First All In
Before All Elite Wrestling officially formed as a company, it existed as an idea within the wrestling business. Fans were hoping someone would come along and break WWE’s stronghold over the industry. In 2018, they found the biggest threat to WWE’s monopoly in the last 20 years: The Elite.
With the help of Ring of Honor and independent wrestlers across the country, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega produced the 2018 PPV All In. The show was an immense success and served as a precursor to the creation of AEW.
AEW Is Born
On January 1, 2019, Cody, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page revealed AEW’s logo and announced the company’s first PPV, Double or Nothing. They signed their official contracts with the company the following day.
The first-ever Double or Nothing took place on May 25, 2019. The event received critical acclaim and gave AEW boatloads of momentum heading into the October premiere of their weekly program, AEW Dynamite.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Less than a year after AEW’s inaugural PPV, the COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into crisis. As a result, AEW ceased its touring schedule and began putting on shows from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
Despite this limitation, fan support remained at a fever pitch for AEW. Fans continued to tune in and show their enthusiasm from afar, helping the promotion stay afloat at a time when countless smaller wrestling promotions went under. Additionally, AEW picked up several big names during its stay in Jacksonville, including Miro, Matt Hardy, and the great Brodie Lee.
Back On The Road
In May 2021, AEW resumed its live touring schedule. During this time, Kenny Omega served as AEW World Champion and face of the company. His title reign helped bolster working relationships between AEW and other promotions such as TNA, AAA in Mexico, and DDT in Japan.
At Full Gear 2021, Hangman Page defeated Kenny Omega to become AEW World Champion and ushered in a new era for the promotion. With the additions of stars like Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, AEW’s momentum reached an all-time high. Unfortunately, turbulent times were ahead.
MJF As AEW World Champion
AEW had hoped to make CM Punk their World Champion. He defeated Hangman Page at Double or Nothing 2022 but was immediately injured and forced to relinquish the title. He recaptured the belt at All Out but was then suspended following a physical confrontation with The Elite.
CM Punk’s injuries and suspension caused an awkward period of floundering within AEW Creative. When all was said and done, MJF was crowned the newest AEW World Champion. Unfortunately, AEW has struggled to regain the momentum they had garnered in past years due to leaning into a “sports entertainment” style of booking eerily similar to WWE.
