The Origins Of AEW Dynamite & How It Was Born, Explained
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Ever since AEW Dynamite debuted on television, it quickly became a premier destination for some of the best weekly wrestling content in the world. It has given renewed life to wrestlers of the past and showcased the stars of professional wrestling’s future. There has also been no shortage of top-tier quality matches, segments, and events under the Dynamite banner. What’s impressive is that it has managed to do all of this in only a few short years. Born from the success of the 2018 All In pay-per-view event, AEW Dynamite has only continued to grow in popularity.
After Accepting A Challenge, AEW Became The Alternative For Wrestling Fans
After Dave Meltzer stated in a reply to a fan that he did not believe that ROH could sell out a 10,000 seat arena. Cody Rhodes replied, saying “I'll take that bet Dave.” With help from the Young Bucks, they assembled the talent, many of whom ended up joining AEW when it was created, the match card, and promoted the show. The show was wildly successful and the biggest independently produced event in wrestling history. Afterward, fans wondered what was going to come next. After months of speculation, they finally received their answer on the January 1, 2019, episode of Being The Elite. Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and “Hangman” Adam Page revealed the formation of AEW and its first event, Double Or Nothing. The company was founded by Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Omega, and Tony Khan.
Even after the announcement, there was still speculation regarding when AEW would air and when fans would get to see it. However, the answers were soon revealed. On May 15, 2019, it was announced that WarnerMedia and AEW had reached an agreement to air the new promotion weekly. On June 18, reports found that AEW had filed for a trademark on the name of the show, which was “All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite”. The show was announced to debut on Wednesday nights with the first episode airing on October 2, 2019, on TNT.
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The First AEW Dynamite Begins A Brand New Era
The first episode of AEW Dynamite aired from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C and had 1.4 million viewers. The show went head-to-head with NXT, and would for weeks during the Wednesday Night Wars. Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross were the broadcast team for the show. In the first wrestling match on TNT in decades, Rhodes faced Sammy Guevara and picked up the victory. Other matches included MJF facing Brandon Cutler and Hangman facing PAC. Riho defeated Nyla Rose and became the inaugural AEW Women’s World Champion. There were also appearances from SCU, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., the Lucha Brothers, and Private Party.
The main event saw AEW World Champion Chris Jericho team with Santana and Ortiz to face Omega and The Young Bucks, collectively The Elite. The match was chaotic, with a brawl taking place between Omega and Jon Moxley. Jericho, Santana, and Ortiz picked up the win, but Cody and Dustin Rhodes ran down. An attack coordinated by Jericho, Santana, Ortiz, Guevara, and the debuting Jake Hager destroyed the Rhodes brothers and The Young Bucks. It was the formation of The Inner Circle.
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AEW Has Given Fans Numerous Memories In Its Short Life
In the years since that inaugural episode, Dynamite has gone through a lot. The show has since moved to TBS, but TNT still hosts Rampage. It has hosted annual specials, such as St. Patrick’s Day Slam, Grand Slam, and Winter Is Coming. In addition, it has also hosted countless classic matches like Baker versus Thunder Rosa in Lights Out, Danielson facing Hangman for the AEW World Championship, and FTR taking on the Young Bucks for the ROH Tag Team Titles. Dynamite has opened new chapters for the careers of Eddie Kingston, Toni Storm, Saraya, Malakai Black, and Adam Cole. Simultaneously, the new generation has also been showcased with talents like Darby Allin, Jade Cargill, Jamie Hayter, Ricky Starks, and The Acclaimed, not to mention the numerous memorable segments in AEW history, like the performance of “Me and My Shadow” by Jericho and MJF. The combination of the past, present, and future of professional wrestling has helped make Dynamite a go-to, weekly wrestling show on Wednesday nights.
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Dynamite has reached such heights in a relatively short amount of time. The two-hour program showcases an immense amount of talent at all levels, whether they are veterans of the business, homegrown AEW talents, or the future generation of professional wrestling. Born as an alternative to what fans had become accustomed to for many decades, Dynamite has undoubtedly built its own lane in professional wrestling.
