The impossible happened on Oct 2, 2019; wrestling returned to TBS. For slightly over two years, we reveled in the joy and nostalgia of having great wrestling on TNT, but sadly all good things must come to an end.

Dynamite’s TNT era has come to an explosive end (sorry, I couldn’t resist), and we’re now all aboard the TBS mothership.

As we say goodbye to TNT, let’s look back at five of the most important men's matches that happened on Dynamite.

A separate list for the women is coming soon. 

What Makes A Match Important

While we all love five-star classics and matches that make our jaw drop, this list places a heavier emphasis on historically significant matches. Matches that, in ten years, we will look back on and say, “Yeah, that fucking happened.” This match won’t feature any PPV matches, but Dynamite TV specials are fair game.

And while we’re speaking about five-star matches, it might surprise you to learn that AEW had no five-star matches in 2019. In 2020, with a massive chip on their shoulder, they had 3 five-star and above matches, and in 2021 they had 7.

With that bit of preamble out of the way, let’s dive in.

The List

5. Brodie Lee vs. Cody Rhodes for the TNT Title- Dog Collar Match

Before Brodie Lee came in, the Dark Order was floundering, directionless, and struggling to get over. They had the nugget of a good idea, but the execution was disastrous, and the constant snafus on TV weren’t helping anyone- we all remember the punches that missed Dustin by a mile.

When Evil Uno revealed Brodie as the Exalted One, he immediately breathed new life into the Dark Order. The immortal words of his first promo, “Mr. Daniels, you’re not the first out-of-touch old man to not believe in me,” are still resonant to this day. The cult finally had the personality it was missing.

Brodie would unsuccessfully challenge for the AEW world championship, then later decimated Cody for the TNT title. A couple of weeks later, they faced off again in a dog collar match which sadly ended up being Brodie’s last match.

It was a violent, bloody affair that you have to watch at least once in your life. If you’ve seen it before, this is a match that deserves a rewatch.

We miss you Brodie, thank you for sharing yourself with us.

4. Sammy Guevara vs. Cody

When talking about AEW’s most important matches on Dynamite, we have to talk about the very first match, numero uno.

Before Dynamite, I hadn’t seen that much of Sammy Guevara. I only knew about him because of his match against Laredo Kid for the AAA Cruiserweight Title. If you haven’t watched that match, please check it out on Youtube.

Back to Sammy vs. Cody, this match felt a bit od at the time. I didn’t understand why they would put that much pressure on a talent most people were unfamiliar with. I knew Sammy had potential, but I didn’t expect him to connect with the fans as quickly as he did.

Two years later, and Sammy has proven me wrong. His vlog is the second most popular AEW vlog; he helped Fuego get over and has created a platform where talent like Alan Angels, Aaron Solo, and many more can cultivate a fan base. He’s a pillar of the company, and Tony will build around him in the years to come.

Looking back at this match, it’s so weird seeing white-hot babyface Cody. I wonder if he’ll ever get cheered as loudly as he was in those first days.

3. Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega- Winter Is Coming

The first edition of Winter Is Coming will go down as one of Dynamite’s best episodes. It had everything; the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal, the debut of Sting, and Tony Schiavone losing his mind, and the greatest wrestling robbery since Montreal. The Canadians finally got their revenge.

Before Winter Is Coming, Mox and Kenny had only fought once in a well-received lights-out match. They had danced around each other for almost an entire year, with Kenny even shifting to the tag team division, but a meeting between the two was inevitable.

Don Callis helped Kenny steal the belt before hightailing it to Impact Wrestling and opening that forbidden door.

This was the start of Kenny’s belt collector arc, and despite it not achieving its full potential, fucking pandemic, the character was essential in establishing relationships among several major wrestling companies.

Looking back at this match makes me appreciate Moxley’s title reign even more. He was the best person to carry AEW through a pandemic.

2. Tag Team Gauntlet Match- Aug 29, 2020

When we tell the story of Hangman Adam Page, this is one match we have to talk about. The Young Bucks, FTR, Natural Nightmares, and Best Friends faced off in a gauntlet match to determine who would fight the champions at All Out 2020.

After beating the Natural Nightmares, the Young Bucks faced the Best Friends. Just as they were about to hit the Meltzer Driver, Hangman held on to Nick’s leg allowing the Best Friends to eliminate Matt and Nick. This would lead to Hangman getting kicked out of the Elite, him and Kenny losing the titles to FTR at All Out, and Kenny turning his back on him. Hangman hit rock bottom, and a lot of his self-destruction started here.

Looking back at this match, FTR had really gotten into Hangman’s head. Hangman ignored that he and Kenny had beaten every team in the gauntlet except FTR. He was so laser-focused on not losing to the Bucks because he thought they were the better tag team that he failed to see an obvious trap.

The way AEW told this story, expertly showcasing self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and depression, is one of the many reasons I fell in love with this company. This is probably my second favorite Tag Team Gauntlet after New Day’s Kofimania gauntlet.

1. MJF Vs. Chris Jericho- The Fifth Labor of Jericho

Sing the song of Heracles,

that none may forget his name.

Sing for the son of Zeus,

that he may slay,

All that’s put before him

I don’t know if you know this, but MJF is great. He’s exceptional on the mic, is fantastic in the ring, has a great mind for the business, and he’s a pretty good singer. He also has a pretty punchable face, and I enjoy watching people punch him.

After surviving the Five Labors of Jericho, Chris finally got his hands on MJF, and it was, to quote Bobby Roode, glorious. This match was perfect, and my favorite moment was Excalibur screaming, “This has devolved into a fistfight.” The kicker was that Jericho couldn’t use the Judas Effect, and I love how that played into the match’s finish.

MJF used the Lion Tamer and Judas Effect before forcing Jericho to submit to the Salt Of The Earth Fujiwara Armbar.

Looking back at this match, I was curious to see how a face Jericho would work this match. It’s not that I had any doubt in Jericho’s talent, but he had been a heel/tweener for a large portion of his AEW run. Jericho had the perfect opportunity to hit the Judas Effect when ref Aubrey turned her back, but he hesitated, giving MJF an opening.

This match was a clear passing of the torch, and I can’t wait for MJF to be AEW World Champion one day.

Let’s see what Dynamite’s TBS era brings.