5 Greatest AEW debuts of all time

#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.

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#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.