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AEW is a company that has quickly grown from a minor organization to one of the biggest promotions in pro wrestling today. All Elite Wrestling features some of the greatest active wrestlers today. The company includes wrestlers who are well-known and popular, as well as emerging faces in the world of wrestling.
To attract more fans and get people talking, AEW makes a name for itself by having established talents debut in new and unexpected ways.
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Whether we're talking about Adam Cole's debut at All Out or the long-awaited return of CM Punk after a 7-year absence, AEW continues to impress and surprise viewers three years after its formation.
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Here are some of the absolute greatest debuts we've seen in All Elite Wrestling's short but memorable history so far.
#5. Adam Cole's reunites with old friends in AEW
When Adam Cole signed with WWE in 2017, the future looked very bright for the young star. By 2017, Cole had honed his talents in NJPW and other promotions, becoming an established indie wrestler on par with the best wrestlers in the world. It looked as though WWE had their next young Shawn Michaels, a rebellious, arrogant, superkick-prone heel wrestler at the center of NXT.
Around the same time Cole began his NXT run, his old friends, The Elite, announced their plans to start their own wrestling company. It was a cruel twist of fate that Cole had signed with WWE only two years prior to this announcement.
With the momentum Cole was building in WWE, it was really unknown whether he'd leave once his contract was up. But then, All Out happened and fans received their very pleasing answer: Cole was All Elite, bay-bay!
#4. "Broken" Matt Hardy returns
Matt Hardy was one of the veteran WWE wrestlers whose addition to All Elite Wrestling helped cement the company as a new, top-tier organization. Additionally, along with Brodie Lee and Christian Cage, Hardy's debut showed that All Elite Wrestling was a place for wrestlers young and old.
Not only could aspiring indie performers hone their craft, older wrestlers could help live out the last few years of their careers in truly epic fashion.
Prior to joining AEW, Hardy had made a somewhat successful return to WWE with his brother, Jeff. The duo's run as Tag Team Champions was enjoyable, but within weeks it was apparent WWE had no idea what to do with Matt's popular "Broken" gimmick he had created at IMPACT.
WWE tried introducing Hardy as "Woken" Matt, but it was clear that without Hardy's creative control, the gimmick just wasn't working. The moment he appeared in the rafters in AEW, piloting a drone, it was evident that the "Broken" Matt we all knew and loved was finally making his return.
#3. Bryan Danielson goes All Elite
The genius of Bryan Danielson's debut in AEW was how caught off-guard everyone was. On the same night he debuted -- literally less than five minutes before his music hit -- Adam Cole made his first appearance with AEW.
By every right, that would've a major highlight to end the show with -- Cole together again with his former Bullet Club stablemates. Then, an altered version of Danielson's "Ride of the Valkyries" sounded off, and fans lost their minds for the second time that night.
Like Cole and Matt Hardy, Danielson was a veteran wrestler who seemed like he would've chosen to end his career in WWE. He had scaled major heights in the company and could've been very comfortable in the World Title picture for the next few years.
However, Danielson chose to leave as he believed there was nothing left to accomplish in WWE. His decision to become All Elite illustrated just how much respect Danielson had for the company and its product, further legitimitizing AEW as one of the major organizations in the world of pro wrestling.
#2. Jon Moxley debuts at AEW's inaugural PPV
Unlike every other name on this list, Jon Moxley didn't sign for AEW after the promotion had already been established. Instead, he took a risk, signing with the company when it was still in its infancy and struggling to gain a fanbase.
He believed in Tony Khan's vision and his debut at the company's inaugural Double or Nothing PPV had fans buzzing for weeks. It helped establish AEW as a legitimate wrestling promotion, and what's more, it was completely unexpected.
In truly unpredictable Moxley fashion, Mox famously emerged from the crowd and confronted Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Prior to Mox's signing and aside from Jericho, All Elite Wrestling lacked significant well-known veteran talent, with the roster comprised mostly of NJPW, AAA, and up-and-coming indie wrestlers.
Having Moxley debut with the company so early on was the perfect way to get wrestling fans interested. Plus, it kicked off Moxley's incredible run as All Elite in an unexpectedly great way.
#1. CM Punk returns to Chicago
No disrespect to anyone else's debut on this list, but nothing even comes remotely close to CM Punk's thunderous first appearance in AEW. Even on top of all the hints and speculation from fans, Punk's triumphant return to the world of wrestling not only met the hype -- it easily surpassed it.
Not long ago, the idea that Punk would ever return to wrestling was an altogether ridiculous notion. Punk had expressed again and again that he would never return to wrestling. He went 7 long years without wrestling a match or even appearing on television.
To everyone's surprise, Punk signed with All Elite Wrestling in a full-time capacity. And of course, the fact that it all happened in Chicago, Punk's hometown, made it all the better, getting one of the loudest fan reactions in All Elite history.
