The Best Show of 2023: AEW WRESTLEDREAM 10/1

 

      The two best shows I saw in 2023 were two AEW PPV's: Revolution and WrestleDream. WrestleDream had the best ending of the year, though, a tour de force of a heel turn and an introduction of a WWE star, all following one hell of a main event. And that's probably why I thought WrestleDream was the show of the year. AEW's PPV's have almost become legendary for their kitchen sink approach. The shows are long, filled with different types of matches, but usually always featuring one or two match of the year contenders. WrestleDream had one of the best matches of the year with Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. It also had a fantastic 6-man match with a plethora of big time stars: Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita & Sammy Guevera. The 'Hangman' Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland was really good and kick started one of the best feuds of the year. And The Young Bucks vs. Hook & Orange Cassidy vs. The Lucha Brothers vs. The Gunns was a lot of fun. We also got a fun comedy match with MJF vs. The Righteous and FTR vs. Aussie Open had an action-packed second half. It was a very entertaining, loaded to the rafters show. And it was the best ending to an AEW show all year. The Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage 2 out of 3 falls match was insane. Darby being tossed off the apron onto the steel stairs was one of the sickest spots of the year. And the match got crazier. The ring apron was torn off revealing the hard wood. Nick Wayne turned heel in his own backyard of Seattle. And, of course, Edge debuting in AEW to close the show and chase the heels off was great. The ending reminded me of the end of All Out back in 2021 when Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole debuted. When that show ended, it felt like something special had happened, that AEW was on fire in all the right ways. And WrestleDream ended the same way, with the future looking bright and the excitement level at a fever pitch. Sadly, that's very rare in wrestling, but when it happens, it makes you realize why you're a fan in the first place.