Since AEW began three years ago, it has established itself as a company that is different to anything fans had seen before, whilst also bringing together some of the best elements of certain different promotions. Whilst it is nowhere near what ECW was like in its heyday, AEW doesn’t shy away from doing crazy things like they did.RELATED: 10 Current AEW Stars That Would Have Thrived In WCWAEW has seen its wrestlers perform some dangerous, high-impact, unique, and downright crazy stunts, spots, and bumps over the last few years, with some creating great moments and elevating matches, whilst others have left fans wondering “what was the point?”. Either way, AEW have put forth a number of wild things, with it being a tough task to shorten the list into just 10.
10 Cody Rhodes Burns Himself
During the period in which the fans turned on Cody Rhodes, he ended up resorting to many lengths to try and win them back, with one of those being in a Street Fight. Brandi Rhodes returned after a stint away, setting a table alight whilst Rhodes and Andrade El Idolo were teetering on the top rope.
The pair went crashing through a flaming table, with the pieces flying everywhere and both men suffering punishment. It was more extreme in the case of Rhodes, who received extreme burns up and down his body. It was a striking visual, but it came during a match where the heat of the feud didn’t quite match up to the heat of the fire.
9 Dead-Eye From A Ladder
During a Casino Ladder Match on an episode of Dynamite, “Hangman” Adam Page made a big return as the “Joker” participant, running wild on all his opponents on his way to winning the match and telling the next chapter in his world title journey.
Before he achieved his prize, he would hit PAC with a Dead-Eye from atop a ladder before the pair crashed through a table which was set up in the ring. The men landed on their knees and head respectively, which must be applauded due to how scary it must have been.
8 Sammy Guevara Thrown From The Stage
Wrestling entrance sets are often in place for practical purposes, but some are more for performative purposes, including a giant metal frame that Sammy Guevara was knocked from at All Out 2020, falling a long way before crashing to the floor.
This spot was even more precarious given that Matt Hardy, who climbed up the structure alongside Guevara, had been knocked out just minutes before, making this an uncomfortable and scary scenario. If things had gone to plan, then Guevara’s fall would have likely been received much better.
7 Britt Baker In The Thumbtacks
At St. Patrick's Day Slam in 2021, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa fought in a classic Lights Out match, with it still being perhaps one of the best women’s matches in AEW history. AEW have had quite a number of thumbtacks spots since the company began, but this one sits apart from the others.
When Baker was thrown into the tacks, it was with such force that she received a large number in her back, with the move being delivered with a lot of impact, making it even more gruesome and uncomfortable to witness, with Baker’s performance being hugely respected.
6 One-Winged Angel At Stadium Stampede
There were many moments within the inaugural Stadium Stampede that were great, from the Lake of Reincarnation being in a swimming pool, to “Hangman” Adam Page and Jake Hager having a bar fight, to Nick Jackson moonsaulting from a goal post.
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The craziest of all those came right at the end of the match when Kenny Omega was in the stands. Omega hit a One-Winged Angel from the stands, falling for at least two seconds before they went crashing down into a gimmicked pad, which was made to look extra devastating.
5 Penta’s Destroyer From A Ladder
During the inaugural All Out PPV, the Lucha Brothers and Young Bucks battled in a crazy ladder match for the AAA Tag Team Championship, with the four men producing some memorable moments that hadn’t been seen before.
One of those came when Penta delivered a Destroyer from the top of a ladder and through a table. This was an incredible visual with the move being executed to perfection.
4 Coffin Drop Through A Coffin
AEW’s first Coffin match saw Ethan Page and resident daredevil Darby Allin culminate their brutal and violent rivalry, where the aim was to enclose your opponent within a coffin. Allin won the match by doing so but didn’t stop there.
He climbed to the top rope, performing his signature coffin drop to the outside, through the wooden coffin, and onto Page. This was hugely dangerous as the margin for error was minuscule, making it one of the riskier spots so far, even if it wasn’t as flashy as others.
3 Darby Allin Thrown Down The Stairs
During his feud with Ethan Page, Darby Allin suffered a lot of punishment during their brawls, with his time in AEW being full of scary moments and bumps. Sometimes, there are ways to minimize the risk of injury and to subtly ensure that the stunts aren’t as painful.
However, there are few ways to combat the effects of being thrown down several flights of stone stairs, which is what happened to Allin. He tumbled a long way down the steps, which could have gone so wrong in many ways.
2 Cody Rhodes’ Steel Cage Moonsault
Cody Rhodes has had countless incredible moments in AEW, with one of those coming in the company’s first ever Steel Cage match. The finish of the match saw Rhodes climb to the top of the structure – which was noticeably bigger than WWE’s Steel Cages – and perform a moonsault onto Wardlow.
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Rhodes would suffer a broken toe from this move, which feels like a minor injury when thinking about the risk involved from jumping backwards at that sort of height.
1 Sammy Guevara’s Ladder Cutter
During a ladder match with Cody Rhodes to determine the Undisputed TNT Champion, Sammy Guevara once again proved himself to be a highlight reel by performing several stunts during their match.
The most striking of which came when Guevara did a springboard from the top rope and onto a ladder, whilst catching Rhodes in a cutter from the top of a different ladder, all in one fluid motion, which may be one of the most impressive moments in AEW history.
