9) AEW Dynamite (Full Gear 2020 go-home show) - 11/10/21
Something that AEW Dynamite has been nailing is the art of the go-home show. It's a different beast to typical episodes as its goal is to push the pay-per-view card. The go-home show before Full Gear was particularly spectacular. The main event of Full Gear between Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page was promoted with a rare contract signing that saw Don Callis return.
A lot of the Full Gear lineup was highlighted via vignettes and brief segments. The wrestling was quality with a very good Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero opener, Dante Martin and Lio Rush beating Matt Sydal and Lee Moriarty and an excellent PAC vs. Dax Harwood showdown. This episode of AEW Dynamite brought the goods and promoted an all-time great major event on the following Sunday.
8) AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash 2021 - 12/22/21
The second to last episode of AEW Dynamite for 2021 had most thinking that it would be a throwaway following the Winter Is Coming special. The show surpassed all expectations and ended up being one of the best episodes of the year. The main event combined wrestling nostalgia and entertaining in-ring action, with CM Punk, Darby Allin and Sting (all with Sting-inspired face paint) defeating The Pinnacle's MJF and FTR.
The Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite in Greensboro, North Carolina, was also the site of Kyle O'Reilly's debut. O'Reilly helped his former Undisputed Era stablemate Adam Cole defeat Orange Cassidy. This reunited the biggest NXT stable in history in an AEW ring.
Ruby Soho also beat Nyla Rose to advance to the TBS Championship Tournament Finals. There was a compelling angle as Bryan Danielson challenged AEW World Champion Hangman Page to a rematch. The holiday episode captured the spirit of the season and provided a fun night of wrestling.