10 Greatest AEW Dynamite matches of the second year

9) The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle in a Blood & Guts Match (AEW Dynamite - Blood & Guts)

AEW Dynamite was supposed to present the first Blood and Guts Match in March of 2020, but the pandemic prevented the company from putting on this first time-ever contest. Well over a year later, The Inner Circle found themselves in a war with another stable in the Pinnacle, and this battle had to be settled in a Blood and Guts Match.

Months before the bout, Maxwell Jacob Friedman set up a plot on Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle by using the faction to learn how to lead one of his own. MJF turned on the group and formed the Pinnacle with FTR, Shawn Spears, Wardlow and Tully Blanchard. This turn set the stage for the first Blood and Guts Match in AEW Dynamite history.

This war more than lived up to the hype, with numerous competitors getting busted open throughout the bout. Wardlow was presented as a beast, as he took down each member of the Inner Circle.

FTR brought their old-school style into this one by using double-team moves and expert selling to get over the brutal nature of the contest. Likewise, Shawn Spears, Jake Hager and Chris Jericho all played their roles well and were highlighted.

The AEW Dynamite - Blood and Guts main event was all about building two of the company's future stars in Sammy Guevara and MJF. Guevara was the MVP of the bout, as his high-flying and perseverance turned him into a fan-favorite star.

That being said, it was MJF who secured the victory when he threatened to push Jericho off the cage. In doing so, he made his opponents surrender before he shoved Jericho down to the floor anyway.

The final visual of MJF, with a bloody face, saying "Thank you" to Chris Jericho and smiling while looking at the crowd remains one of the most enduring sights of the year for AEW Dynamite. Friedman showed why he is one of the top heels in wrestling and a future AEW World Champion with his actions at Blood and Guts.