Ranking the 5 Best WWE and AEW PPVs of 2025

AEW continued its streak of exceptional pay-per-views in 2025, but WWE cooled down following one of its hottest years in recent memory.

As noted in February, All Elite Wrestling started the year on a roll with Grand Slam Australia, and a growing shift in perception of the top two companies in pro wrestling became apparent.

WWE has obviously had a successful year financially, and its ever-present foothold in pop culture has grown exponentially since 2023.

However, AEW's creative direction and PPV output have been more consistent this year. This became clear when Wrestlepalooza debuted on the same day as All Out: Toronto, and the latter was largely regarded as the better show.

WWE will always have an advantage when it comes to star power, presentation, and unforgettable moments. Still, AEW has managed to cater to its niche audience with top-notch matches, continuity, and robust character development.

The pendulum will continue to swing back and forth between the two companies, and their loyal fans will have plenty to enjoy along the way. This is our ranking of the top five WWE and AEW PPVs of the year.

Honorable Mentions

WWE SummerSlam

WWE SummerSlam's first outing as a two-night spectacle was surprisingly better than WrestleMania 41 with two strong main events. The Biggest Party of the Summer delivered one of the best Money in the Bank cash-ins in a long time and John Cena's best performances of the year.

AEW Full Gear

Full Gear was another showcase of what AEW does best, but it also advanced some of its top storylines and provided signature wins for Kyle O'Reilly and Mark Briscoe.

WWE Crown Jewel

Crown Jewel: Perth was easily WWE's best premium live event since the company's debut on ESPN's new streaming platform, particularly because of the second half of the show.

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

NJPW/CMLL/AEW Wrestle Dynasty

AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling's first cross-promotional event to take place in Japan started the year on a high note, giving us an early match-of-the-year contender in Gabe Kidd vs. Kenny Omega.

AEW All Out

AEW All Out exceeded expectations as the better overall show ahead of Wrestlepalooza due to its superior match quality and Kris Statlander's surprise women's world title win.

5. AEW Revolution

This year's Revolution proved why the event has emerged as AEW's most consistent pay-per-view.

"Hangman" Adam Page and MJF reignited their storied rivalry in an excellent opening match, while Ricochet and Swerve Strickland wrapped up their feud later in a No. 1 contender's bout. Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher also clashed in the rubber match of their acclaimed trilogy inside a steel cage. 

Nevertheless, The Hollywood Ending still stood out as the highlight of the night because it was such a satisfying conclusion to Toni Storm and Mariah May's long-term storyline. Kenny Omega and Konosuke Takeshita also put on a clinic for the AEW International Championship. 

The main event was one of the few low points, but Strickland salvaged the ending when he reemerged as Jon Moxley's next challenger to close the show.

4. WWE Elimination Chamber

Elimination Chamber successfully raised interest in WrestleMania 41 following an underwhelming build and two divisive Royal Rumble winners. 

In fact, this year's men's and women's Chamber matches were much better than their Rumble counterparts. WWE started the show with a bang as Jade Cargill returned and attacked Naomi, taking her out of the women's match.  

This was such an awesome payoff to months of speculation, but it also effectively left viewers with more questions until Naomi finally confessed. Bianca Belair ultimately became the first two-time women's Elimination Chamber winner, but Liv Morgan was the MVP in an impressive showing for the women. 

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn attempted to steal the show during their violent but masterful rendition of an unsanctioned match. It was the perfect way to up the ante after all of their other encounters, and their history together made the finish that much more heartbreaking. 

Still, most fans will rightfully remember Cena's historic heel turn in the main event as the lasting image from this PLE.

3. WWE Evolution

Andrea Kellaway/WWE via Getty Images

After seven years of anticipation, Evolution finally returned to claim a spot on this list as the best WWE PLE of 2025.

On paper, Elimination Chamber had the better card and bigger moments, but the long-awaited follow-up to the company's first all-women's PPV flowed much better. It's one of the few shows this year that wasn't bogged down by constant product placement and mind-numbing filler. 

As a result, the women thrived on a straightforward seven-match card similar to the vibe of an NXT TakeOver. Becky Lynch continued one of the year's top feuds with Lyra Valkyria, who was also at odds with Bayley, in the opener. 

Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair finalized her redemption arc as she and Alexa Bliss won the women's tag titles. Naomi also enjoyed a breakout year following her heel turn during the March 7 episode of SmackDown.

Although Cargill exacted revenge in their No Holds Barred match, Naomi cashed in her Money in the Bank contract in the main event to play spoiler and emerge as the new women's world champion. 

It was an epic end to the night as Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley were on the verge of producing another instant classic. 

2. AEW All In: Texas

Globe Life Field gave All In: Texas the proper scale to live up to the hype as AEW's biggest pay-per-view event of the year. 

Even more, the event fit the bill as the grand finale to The Death Riders' reign of terror and the last stand of the protagonists who hoped to dethrone its leader, Moxley. As such, you would be hard-pressed to find a better ending to an ongoing pro wrestling story this year. 

Hangman's journey back from the darkest period of his career to the main event, where he raised the AEW World Championship for a second time, was a triumph. It's one of the greatest stories AEW has ever told, and it stuck the landing perfectly.

The women's division also excelled in the women's Casino Gauntlet match, and Storm and Mercedes Moné tore the house down in a star-studded showdown for the world title.

Omega also took on his career-defining rival, Kazuchika Okada, for the first time in the U.S., and The Young Bucks were stripped of their EVP status following an outstanding match with Strickland and Ospreay.

1. AEW Double or Nothing

This year, Double or Nothing may have eclipsed All Out 2021 as AEW's best PPV ever.

The men's and women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament finals bookended the show, and both had major implications for All In: Texas. Moné defeated Jamie Hayter in a phenomenal opening match, and Page pulled off an incredible upset over Ospreay in the main event. 

Their action-packed matchup to determine the number one contender for the AEW World Championship will end up on many year-end lists. The in-ring storytelling and aftermath cemented Hangman as the company's best character. 

"Speedball" Mike Bailey also had a tremendous match with Okada for the continental title. However, Ricochet and Briscoe gave us one of the pleasant surprises of the year in a wildly entertaining Stretcher match. 

Lastly, Anarchy in the Arena provided a live experience so unique to AEW that it must be considered the company's greatest stipulation match. It was outrageously violent and ridiculous, but it was everything avid fans have come to love about AEW and its style of humor.