10 Most Embarrassing Moments In The History Of AEW Dynamite

AEW’s flagship show has been through a lot of ups and downs. Its biggest accomplishment to date remains its victory in the infamous “Wednesday Night Wars,” a two-year-long era wherein WWE put NXT up against Dynamite in an attempt to smother the young, upcoming company.

RELATED: 10 Best AEW Matches Of All Time, Ranked

However, just because Dynamite has been successful doesn’t mean it's been perfect. There have been several moments throughout the show's history that Tony Khan and fans alike would probably like to forget. Whether it was a botched segment, failed stunt, or lackluster promo, here are 10 of the most embarrassing moments in the history of AEW Dynamite.

10 Cody And Anthony Ogogo’s Weigh-In Segment

Cody Rhodes’ feud against Anthony Ogogo was the beginning of the end of his momentum in AEW. The feud was hard to take seriously for many reasons, including its emphasis on nationalism and the fact that it heavily featured QT Marshall.

RELATED: 10 Funniest Cody Rhodes Moments, RankedOne of the worst parts of this feud was the dreaded weigh-in segment on the go-home episode of Dynamite before Double or Nothing. Paul Wight couldn’t figure out how to work the scale, leading to a lot of awkward silence and a big mess of a segment.

9 Saraya’s Debut Promo

Many fans hoped that AEW signing Saraya (FKA Paige in WWE) would be the shot in the arm that AEW’s women’s division desperately needed. Their hopes were quickly dashed when Saraya cut her first promo. It was clumsily delivered, included a baseless shot at WWE for a cheap pop, and perhaps the dumbest insult in AEW history (that Britt Baker’s name “rhymes with sh*t”) Unfortunately for Saraya, her AEW run has mostly fallen downhill from there.

8 Andrade El Idolo’s Debut

Wrestling fans were chomping at the bit for Andrade to finally be let loose from WWE. His talent and charisma were obviously underutilized, and WWE clearly had no intention of making him a top star. So when Andrade El Idolo made his AEW debut, it should’ve been a layup for creating one of the most iconic moments in the company’s history. Unfortunately, he was introduced by Vickie Guerrero, who screeched so incomprehensibly that fans didn’t know who she was talking about.

7 Chris Jericho’s Mattress Flop

The inaugural Blood & Guts was a night to remember. MJF’s faction, the Pinnacle (remember them?) squared off against Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle (remember them, either?) in a massive steel cage. The fight, which was brutal and exhilarating for the most part, came to an unfortunately anticlimactic end; MJF pushed Jericho off the top of the cage and onto a big, very obvious crash pad. Of course a stunt like that would require a crash pad, but the camera angle used made it painfully apparent that Jericho had a very cushioned landing. Jericho himself was embarrassed to the extent that he effectively threatened to blacklist wrestlers who made fun of the spot, including WWE’s Shotzi Blackheart.

6 Britt Baker Shows Support For Johnny Depp

The Amber Heard vs Johnny Depp defamation trial was a painful, embarrassing time to be a human. People across the internet treated a trial involving stories of rape, assault, and domestic violence as a sports game. Wrestlers (particularly female wrestlers) were quick to join in on the fun, including Britt Baker. She smugly wore a shirt with Johnny Depp’s face on it during an episode of Dynamite, perhaps not understanding that Depp is still a proven wifebeater and has been accused of assault by several people, not just Amber Heard. Whoops!

5 The Dark Order Goon’s Fake Punches

This is a throwback all the way to 2019, the year AEW came into existence. Back then, the Dark Order was a ghoulish heel faction. The only named members were Evil Uno and Stu Grayson, while the rest of the members were masked goons who slithered around the ring like weird creatures. During one episode of Dynamite, Dark Order attacked the Elite and Dustin Rhodes. The goon in charge of attacking Dustin threw a series of incredibly fake, goofy-looking punches. It was a real black eye for AEW.

4 Brandi Rhodes’ “Open Mic Night” Promo

This promo is a classic for all the wrong reasons. To come to her husband’s defense, Brandi Rhodes delivered a bizarre tirade against Jade Cargill that became an instant meme. She put on an accent that no one had ever heard her speak in before, and referred to Jade as a “ratchet, triflin’ heffa.”

RELATED: Brandi Rhodes' Career Timeline In Wrestling, Explained

While fans were stunned (some in admiration, some in secondhand embarrassment), AEW immediately rushed to make a t-shirt about the promo. Maybe they should’ve tried to let this whole segment be forgotten.

3 Cole Karter’s Sting Disguise

AEW has an unfortunate history of setting fans’ expectations too high. One of the most cringe-inducing examples of this came in November 2022, when a mysterious fake Sting joined Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in an ambush against Darby Allin. Fans were expecting a shock, surprise debut, only for “Sting” to take off his mask and reveal he was actually… the Factory’s Cole Karter. The crowd was dreadfully quiet.

2 Sammy Guevara’s Failed Face Turn

When Dynamite started, Sammy Guevara became established as Jericho’s young, cocky henchman. Now, almost four years later, he’s in the exact same spot. This is because his attempted solo run fell flat on its face; Tony Khan tried to make him a babyface, only for it to immediately backfire due to Sammy Guevara’s punchable face and gross, frat boy aura. AEW was clearly hoping that turning Sammy face would launch him to the same level of success MJF has achieved. But Guevara is, as they discovered, nowhere near MJF’s league.

1 Cody Rhodes’ Tone-Deaf Promo

The summer of 2020 was a bleak time in American history. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked protests across the country, many of which turned violent after police escalation. The constant turmoil was a grave reminder of how far the US has to go if it ever wants to achieve true racial equality.

Anyway, Cody Rhodes is here to tell you how much he loves America! While Cody had good intentions with his “American Dream” promo, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. It was incredibly tone-deaf considering the current situation in the country and made thousands of fans roll their eyes. Hopefully, Cody thinks twice before ever trying a promo like this again.