Top 10 Greatest AEW Pay-Per-Views of All Time

Was Double or Nothing 2026 the greatest pay-per-view in AEW history?

MJF | All Elite Wrestling - Lee South

Coming off the heels of another universally praised pay-per-view, there has been plenty of talk about the quality of the major shows in All Elite Wrestling. Known as the promotion "where the best wrestle," AEW has become the standard when it comes to mainline pay-per-view events.

With another classic show in the books, it feels like the right time to take a look at where AEW Double Or Nothing 2026 stands among the best that the promotion has offered since its inception in 2019.

As of this writing, there have been 48 pay-per-views and special events for AEW. This list will be based on the overall quality, memorable matches and moments, importance to the company's history and impact on pro wrestling overall. Here is the top ten greatest AEW PPVs of all time.

10. AEW Double Or Nothing 2019

allelitewrestling.com

Date: May 25, 2019
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Memorable matches/moments: Jon Moxley debuts, Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho, Young Bucks vs. Lucha Brothers, Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin Rhodes

Starting off this list is the first-ever AEW pay-per-view in the company's history. On May 25, 2019, All Elite Wrestling embarked on its maiden voyage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Setting the tone for the promotion, this night featured "Hangman" Adam Page winning the Casino Battle Royale to earn the right to become the first-ever AEW World Champion, Awesome Kong made her debut in a four-way women's match won by Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. and Dark Order arrived in the tag team scene.

The card will be remembered for the top three matches of the evening. In the tag team division, The Young Bucks defeated The Lucha Bros in an excellent encounter that set the stage for one of the best rivalries in AEW history.

Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes put on an instant classic in the emotional battle of the two brothers. With bloodshed and drama, the Rhodes brothers put on a riveting encounter that saw Cody beat his older sibling. Post-match, Cody offered his hand and partnership in a legendary promo that capped this epic tale.

Finally, Chris Jericho earned the second spot in the first-ever AEW World Title match with a win over Kenny Omega in a rematch from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12. However, the night ended with a landmark moment as Jon Moxley shocked the world by debuting in AEW and laying out both Jericho and Omega, starting his legacy cementing run in the promotion.

9. AEW Full Gear 2021

Hangman wins AEW World Title for the first time | AEW

Date: November 13, 2021
Location: Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Memorable matches/moments: "Hangman" Adam Page beats Kenny Omega to win AEW World Title, CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston, MJF vs. Darby Allin, The Elite vs. Christian Cage & Jurassic Express

AEW Full Gear 2021 saw the conclusion of the long journey to the AEW World Title for "Hangman" Adam Page. After dealing with failure, insecurity, the loss of friends and a drinking problem, Page finally found himself facing off with his former tag team partner Kenny Omega in the main event.

This superb encounter told the story of Omega being the dominant yet worn-down champion with a 346-day reign and not having enough for a game "Hangman" on this night. After getting the nod of approval from The Young Bucks, Page hit a myriad of Buckshot Lariats to defeat "The Cleaner" and finally win the richest prize in All Elite Wrestling.

Standing side-by-side with his newfound family in The Dark Order, "Hangman" stood victorious with the AEW World Championship in his hands with the entire sold-out crowd in Minneapolis cheering him on.

However, this show provided one of the most complete top-to-bottom cards in AEW history. In what was one of the best openers to a major show for the company, MJF defeated Darby Allin after a punch with the Dynamite Diamond Ring and a side headlock takeover, setting the stage for one of the most iconic feuds in the promotion to this day.

Elsewhere, CM Punk and Eddie Kingston had one of the most intense and heated battles in front of an electric crowd in Target Center, Bryan Danielson became number one contender for the AEW World Title against Miro, Lucha Bros clashed with FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Titles and Christian Cage teamed with Jurassic Express in a crazy Falls Count Anywhere war with Adam Cole and The Young Bucks.

8. AEW Revolution 2026

MJF vs. "Hangman" Adam Page | All Elite Wrestling

Date: March 15, 2026
Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)
Memorable matches/moments: MJF vs. "Hangman" Adam Page Texas Death Match, FTR vs. Young Bucks, Andrade El Idolo vs. Bandido, Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Ronda Rousey debuts, the returns of Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Adam Copeland & Christian Cage

2026 has already started to look like one of those signature years for All Elite Wrestling, and that got put into high gear with their first pay-per-view of the year, Revolution 2026. In the main event, MJF made sure "Hangman" Adam Page could never challenge for the AEW World Title ever again in a brutal and bloody Texas Death Match.

The show kicked off with FTR and The Young Bucks having yet another amazing encounter over the AEW World Tag Team Titles. After Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler retained, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage made their return to get their hands on FTR and tease a mouth-watering dream match with The Bucks.

.@RONDAROUSEY IS HERE AND CALLING OUT "TIMELESS" TONI STORM!

Watch #AEWRevolution LIVE on PPV! pic.twitter.com/bU8LYF5iFH

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 16, 2026

To the surprise of everyone in attendance, former WWE Women's Champion and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey showed up in the ring to confront "Timeless" Toni Storm following the latter's win over Marina Shafir in the second match of the evening.

The shocking returns continued after a fantastic battle between Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW Continental Championship when Will Ospreay came back after seven months on the shelf following career-threatening double fusion neck surgery. Ospreay immediately went after Mox and got the better of The Death Riders.

In a night filled with remarkable in-ring affairs, Andrade El Idolo defeated Bandido in a banger, Mistico and JetSpeed became the new AEW World Trios Champions over The Don Callis Family, Divine Dominion captured the AEW Women's Tag Team Titles and Swerve Strickland outlasted Brody King in a physically intense collision before Kenny Omega made his return.

7. AEW All In: London 2024

AEW

Date: August 25, 2024
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)
Memorable matches/moments: Bryan Danielson wins the AEW World Title against Swerve Strickland & celebrates with his family, Will Ospreay vs. MJF, "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mariah May, Nigel McGuinness' in-ring return in the Casino Gauntlet, Jamie Hayter returns

For the second time in the company's history, All Elite Wrestling held the AEW All In event at Wembley Stadium in London, England. In front of their second-largest crowd ever, 50,000-plus fans witnessed a show that many believed outdid their effort in 2023.

In the headliner, Bryan Danielson saved his career by defeating Swerve Strickland in a sensational main event to win the AEW World Title with his wife and kids in the front row cheering him on. The emotional closing of this pay-per-view saw "The American Dragon" celebrating his victory with his family and the Blackpool Combat Club as confetti showered down on him.

Meanwhile, 2024 Women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winner Mariah May beat her mentor "Timeless" Toni Storm to win the AEW Women's World Championship in a bloody battle. Elsewhere in the women's division, Mercedes Monè retained the TBS Title over Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.

One of the standout bouts on the card saw Will Ospreay defeat MJF in a tremendous encounter in front of his home country crowd to win the AEW International Title after the return of Daniel Garcia, who was looking for revenge on "The Salt of the Earth."

In a pair of returns, Jamie Hayter got the show off to a hot start by returning to confront Saraya and her family on the pre-show, while Nigel McGuinness had his first match in over a decade when he made a surprise appearance in the Casino Gauntlet Match won by Christian Cage.

6. AEW All In: London 2023

MJF & Adam Cole AEW All In 2023 | AEW

Date: August 27, 2023
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)
Memorable matches/moments: MJF & Adam Cole bookend the show by winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles & battling over the AEW World Title, CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe, The Young Bucks vs. FTR. Saraya wins the AEW Women's World Championship, Will Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho

AEW All In: London 2023 is the biggest event by scale and attendance in the company's history. Distributing 80, 846 tickets before the event went underway, this was a record-breaking event in the history of pro wrestling.

On the night, over 72,000 fans were in attendance and witnessed a historic show. To open, CM Punk defended the Real World Championship against Samoa Joe, rekindling their iconic ROH feud. After Punk scored the win, he waved goodbye to an unsuspecting crowd that did not realize it would be his last match in All Elite Wrestling.

Before the show went underway, Punk got into a backstage altercation with Jack Perry following his "Real glass, cry me a river" statement during the pre-show match with HOOK. This led to Punk being subsequently fired from AEW the following week.

While that stole many of the headlines, AEW All In: London 2023 also saw MJF and Adam Cole open and close the show by winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles from Aussie Open on the pre-show before having a highly entertaining main event over the AEW World Championship. It was MJF who walked out with the gold from the battle of Better Than You, Bay Bay.

Elsewhere on the card, Will Ospreay won in front of his home country against Chris Jericho, Saraya also got a huge home country reaction as she won the AEW Women's World Title in a four-way and FTR overcame The Young Bucks to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships in the latest chapter of their storied rivalry.

5. AEW Revolution 2024

Sting retires | AEW

Date: March 3, 2024
Location: Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Memorable matches/moments: Sting retires in a win alongside Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks, Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe vs. "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland

AEW Revolution 2024 is widely considered one of the most emotionally driven and satisfying nights in the history of the promotion. This event was solely built on the retirement of "The Icon" Sting.

Ending a near-40-year career, Sting looked to retire alongside his tag team partner, Darby Allin, against arguably the best duo of their generation, The Young Bucks. In the weeks leading up to the show, Sting and Allin captured the AEW World Tag Team Titles and The Bucks attacked both men as well as Sting's sons on that same night.

This made seeing Sting's children adorn his old attire and face paint and joining him during his entrance a special moment. Darby pulled out one of his craziest stunts ever with a death-defying swanton off the top of a ladder through a pane of glass, which left The Stinger on his own. However, Sting would not be denied on this night.

AEW Revolution 2024 was a special PPV

From the fantastic matches to the consistency throughout the show to incredible moments with Sting's final entrance and Kyle's return

Just amazing. Hard to top for any promotion this year. pic.twitter.com/jMP064NIth

— Peps🪭 (@Peps_Wrestling) March 4, 2024

Showing what has made him a bona fide living legend, Sting survived the onslaught of The Bucks, who laid into him and even attacked his longtime rival Ric Flair. With a Scorpion Death Lock, Sting and Darby came out victorious over Matt and Nick Jackson as the babyfaces celebrated the end of The Icon's transformative career with the sold-out Greensboro crowd cheering them on.

Meanwhile, Will Ospreay put on a magnificent encounter against Konosuke Takeshita, Samoa Joe outlasted "Hangman" Adam Page and Swerve Strickland to retain the AEW World Title and Eddie Kingston finally beat Bryan Danielson in a brilliant contest to retain the AEW Continental Championship.

For better or worse, Revolution 2024 will always be remembered for the sheer weight of Sting's retirement despite a strong card outside of it.

4. AEW All In: Texas 2025

Hangman Page wins AEW World Title for a second time | AEW

Date: July 12, 2025
Location: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
Memorable matches/moments: "Hangman" Adam Page's redemption arc completed with an AEW World Title win over Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson & Darby Allin return, Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland vs. The Young Bucks, "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Monè, Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega, Dustin Rhodes wins TNT Title, MJF & Athena win Casino Gauntlets

"Hangman" Adam Page went through a very noteworthy downfall after losing the AEW World Title and his bitter rivalry with Swerve Strickland. Becoming the worst version of himself to get revenge on Strickland led to Page having to transform himself into a new iteration of "Hangman" to get back to the top of All Elite Wrestling.

After winning the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament, Page faced off with arguably the most dominant AEW World Champion and the leader of The Death Riders, Jon Moxley. In AEW's version of "Avengers: Endgame," Page got help from Will Ospreay, Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin and even his arch nemesis Swerve to overcome Moxley, The Death Riders and The Young Bucks in a violent and blood-filled Texas Death Match.

The closing scene is one of the most emotionally satisfying endings to a pro wrestling pay-per-view as "Hangman" freed the AEW World Championship from the briefcase that Mox trapped the top prize in 10 months prior when he won the title. The adulation of the 21,973 fans in Globe Life Field when Page raised the gold in the air is something fans will not soon forget.

AEW All In: Texas 2025 had so much more to offer, though. "Timeless" Toni Storm retained the AEW Women's World Championship against Mercedes Monè in one of the best women's matches in company history, while Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland stripped The Young Bucks of their EVP status in a spectacular tag team showcase.

Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega rekindled their generational rivalry as "The Rainmaker" was crowned the inaugural AEW Unified Champion. Elsewhere on the card, MJF and Athena won the Casino Gauntlet matches to earn shots at their respective world titles, Dustin Rhodes captured the TNT Title in his home state and Adam Copeland returned to save Christian Cage from an attack from FTR and The Patriarchy.

In what proved to be the most attended U.S. show in the promotion's history, All In: Texas 2025 was a magical show that solidified AEW's place in the pro wrestling landscape.

3. AEW Double Or Nothing 2025

Hangman Adam Page won the Owen Hart Cup | AEW

Date: May 25, 2025
Location: Desert Diamond Arena (Glendale, Arizona)
Memorable matches/moments: "Hangman" Adam Page & Mercedes Monè win the Owen Hart Foundation Men's & Women's Tournaments, "Bodies" By Drowning Pool during Anarchy In The Arena, Kazuchika Okada vs. "Speedball" Mike Bailey, Ricochet vs. Mark Briscoe

While AEW All In: Texas 2025 culminated the stories that will be remembered moving forward, a lot of those tales were set in place at Double Or Nothing 2025. Voted by the Sports Illustrated staff as the 2025 Show of the Year, All Elite Wrestling put on a stellar evening in Glendale, Arizona.

The Owen Hart Foundation Men's and Women's Tournaments took center stage as Mercedes Monè kicked off the night by beating Jamie Hayter in a terrific opener to earn a shot at the AEW Women's World Championship at All In.

Meanwhile, "Hangman" Adam Page and Will Ospreay had a bona fide classic in the show closer. With the two top babyfaces in the promotion battling to be the one to free the AEW World Title from the grip of Jon Moxley and The Death Riders, it was Page who pulled out the victory in this Match of the Year candidate.

Speaking of The Death Riders, Moxley's stable teamed with The Young Bucks to face an all-star team of Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, Willow Nightingale and The Opps in what many believe is the best Anarchy In The Arena so far. Omega calling on "Bodies" by Drowning Pool to be played is still remembered as one of the moments from this show that will not soon be forgotten.

In another AEW major event filled with beautiful pro wrestling, Kazuchika Okada defeated "Speedball" Mike Bailey in a superb encounter to retain the AEW Continental Championship, Mark Briscoe and Ricochet had a bloodbath in a Stretcher Match and "Timeless" Toni Storm held on to the AEW Women's World Title against Mina Shirakawa.

While All In: Texas 2025 delivered the stirring conclusion, Double Or Nothing laid the groundwork for last year to be a year of momentum and highs for All Elite Wrestling that they are still riding into 2026.

2. AEW Double Or Nothing 2026

Darby Allin vs. MJF | AEW

Date: May 24, 2026
Location: Louis Armstrong Stadium (New York City, New York)
Memorable matches/moments: MJF becomes three-time AEW World Champion over Darby Allin, Kevin Knight turns heel, Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher returns & betrays Takeshita, Cope & Cage win the AEW World Tag Team Titles over FTR in an I Quit Match, Beth Copeland returns, Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland & Athena all advance in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournaments

If AEW Double Or Nothing 2025 won Sports Illustrated's Best Show, it feels like the 2026 iteration is the current leader in the clubhouse for this year, just mere days after the show came to a close. In front of over 14,000 fans in New York City, All Elite Wrestling delivered a pro wrestling version of Nas' "Illmatic" hip-hop classic album with a skipless night of pro wrestling.

The main card started off with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage turning the clock back to win their first world tag team title in 25 years in a wild I Quit Match against FTR that saw flaming tables, pliers and SPIKE being used. With an assist from Adam's wife and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Copeland, Cope and Cage finally got their revenge on Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler.

Not just New York, but the world celebrated with @Christian4Peeps & @RatedRCope when they won the AEW World Tag Team Championship at #AEWDoN! pic.twitter.com/NYuOFm9ikR

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 26, 2026

Then, going from one of AEW's best PPV openers to an unbelievable instant classic, Konosuke Takeshita defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the AEW International Championship. The Louis Armstrong Stadium was on fire during this otherworldly display of outstanding pro wrestling. After the match, Kyle Fletcher made his return to stand with Takeshita against The Don Callis Family only to betray his longtime friend in a show of loyalty to the stable.

In the start of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournaments, Athena moved on against Mina Shirakawa, while Will Ospreay put on a banger in a win over Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland outlasted Bandido in a fabulous in-ring affair.

Elsewhere on the card, Jon Moxley retained the AEW Continental Title against Kyle O'Reilly in a technical wrestling clinic, Thekla overcame the odds to retain the AEW Women's World Championship against Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida and Jamie Hayter, and Stadium Stampede offered a non-stop fun spectacle with Jericho's team beating Ricochet's unit.

AEW World Champion @DarbyAllin was accepting every challenge that came his way – but he insisted that @The_MJF had to put his hair on the line!

Watch the #AEWDoN replay RIGHT NOW on @HBOMax PPV! pic.twitter.com/8r6hlxyIjm

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 25, 2026

Finally, MJF and Darby Allin capped off the pay-per-view with a breathtaking main event that saw "The Salt of the Earth" become a three-time AEW World Champion and ended the "Candle In The Wind" reign for the daredevil. Just when fans were ready to leave satisfied, AEW then added a cliffhanger heel turn as TNT Champion Kevin Knight delivered a UFO Splash to Darby strapped on a stretcher.

From returns and heated angles to an unmatched level of consistently great pro wrestling, the quality of AEW Double Or Nothing 2026 has led many fans to proclaim it the best major show in the company's history, recency bias be damned.

1. AEW All Out 2021

Bryan Danielson AEW debut | AEW

Date: September 5, 2021
Location: Now Arena (Hoffman Estate, Illinois)
Memorable matches/moments: Bryan Danielson & Adam Cole debut back-to-back to close the show, CM Punk's first match in 7 years against Darby Allin, Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros Steel Cage Match, Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage, Minoru Suzuki & Ruby Soho debut, Miro vs. Eddie Kingston

Considered the peak of All Elite Wrestling, 2021 is one of those years that fans have looked back on fondly. Riding a wave of momentum from delivering consistently entertaining pro wrestling in their first two years of existence, the promotion came into AEW All Out 2021 feeling like the very best the business had to offer at the time.

Just weeks earlier, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling for the first time in seven years and set the stage for his in-ring comeback in his hometown of Chicago against Darby Allin on this night. In front of over 10,000 fans at Now Arena, Punk beat Allin, showing that he hadn't missed a step.

CM Punk vs Darby Allin - AEW All Out 2021 - Highlights pic.twitter.com/IV6dj5Sd4f

— Raion (@Raion74_) November 25, 2023

The pay-per-view kicked off with Miro and Eddie Kingston putting on a blistering brawl over the TNT Championship. Then, Jon Moxley put on a slapper with NJPW legend Satoshi Kojima, only for another Japanese legendary star, Minoru Suzuki, to make his debut after the match.

Speaking of shocking arrivals, Ruby Soho made her debut to win the Women's Casino Battle Royale. Elsewhere on the card, Chris Jericho finally pulled out a victory over MJF, while Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. retained the AEW Women's World Championship against Kris Statlander.

In what was the best match on the show, The Lucha Brothers dethroned The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships in a phenomenal Steel Cage Match. Meanwhile, The Bucks' Elite stablemate Kenny Omega held onto the AEW World Title in a great main event against Christian Cage.

This show is most remembered for the unforgettable ending where Adam Cole and then Bryan Danielson made their debuts back-to-back, leaving every fan in the building and watching at home absolutely stunned.

For the feelings fans were left with coming out of this show and how it is still talked about to this day as the standard-bearer for how AEW PPVs are graded, All Out 2021 should be recognized as the best major show in company history...for now.