This Day in Wrestling History is only two years old, but it was an impactful moment as it helped legitimize and solidify AEW as a major player in the professional wrestling world on August 31, 2019.
History has shown that one of the worst things a company can do is pick the wrong champion, but especially the wrong inaugural champion.
The company’s top champion is the face of the company. They’re the top draw that people pay to see, and the pressure is immense and the wrong move can be equated to a pro football team drafting the wrong franchise quarterback in the first round.
Starting on top
While the signing of Chris Jericho was a major move and gave the company the legitimacy they needed by adding an established star, they also had to establish their first AEW champion.
The AEW Championship came down to Adam Page and Chris Jericho. Page earned his chance by winning the Casino Battle Royale and Jericho defeated Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
At the All Out pay-per-view, the two faced off in a great match that saw 29 year ring veteran Chris Jericho come out the winner against Page who is 20 years younger than him.
It was a great moment for the company and for professional wrestling as a whole as Jericho drew even more attention to the young promotion and helps increase its popularity.
This also marked yet another milestone in Jericho’s career as he’s also the first WWF Undisputed Champion.
Turning heel
In a major heel turn to solidify himself as the company’s top heel, Jericho approached several AEW wrestlers backstage, including the Young Bucks, expecting/demanding their thanks.
They and others passed on the opportunity and Jericho noted the lack of celebration backstage, so he started celebrating himself when Santana and Ortiz thanked him, setting the foundation for the Inner Circle.
There were so many layers to this one event that were done perfectly, especially Jericho wanting AEW to thank him, which he was right about in many ways.
It was great storytelling and set the near future for he company up to be something special and they’ve grown since then.
For many reasons, this is one of our favorite This Day in Wrestling History moments, and it’s always fun to relive it when we get the chance.
What’s your favorite AEW moment? Let us know in the comments below.
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