11 Most Shocking + Violent Moments in AEW History

"I am unapologetic about my love of... whatever you want to call it... the deathmatch style, hardcore. I love that stuff," Jon Moxley famously told Chris Van Vliet. "I understand most people are gonna think that's crap and they're not gonna want to watch that. Although I make no apologies that I like that stuff, I would never foist it upon everybody else. It's not like I walked into AEW and was like 'Look, all my matches are going to be crazy.' I never imagined we'd be able to do stuff like that."

Since its official formation in 2019, AEW has become wrestling's premiere destination for extreme acts of violence. With an entire locker room influenced by Atsushi Onita's FMW and Paul Heyman's ECW, both the men and women of AEW have created gruesome and iconic moments that rival any era of pro wrestling.

Tables, ladders, chairs, garbage cans and even kendo sticks have become commonplace in hardcore matches. But a bat full of a nails? A hypodermic needle? A champagne bucket filled with broken glass? These instruments of pain remain sickening to the core.

Check out the most shocking and violent moments from AEW below.

There's no debate to be had -- Jim Ross is the greatest commentator in the history of professional wrestling. JR's run during WWE's Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras remains unmatched, even when considering the longevity of Michael Cole's career and the explosive personality of Joey Styles in ECW.

No commentator has ever put more of themselves into the role, often calling matches as if they were biblical battles unfolding in a WWE ring. JR could make you believe that the ultimate fight between good and evil was taking place right before your eyes. He allowed a generation of wrestling fans to put their hopes and dreams into an antihero like Stone Cold Steve Austin, while stirring the WWE Universe's seething hatred for demonic villains like Triple H.

This list isn't about JR's best catchphrases like "Business is about to pick up!" or "Bah Gawd!" It's about compiling the times when Jim Ross' commentary elevated a moment to the highest level possible, evoking emotions in the viewer that rival any call in sports or entertainment broadcasting.

Check out our definitive list of the greatest calls in WWE history from Good Ol' JR -- Jim Ross!

In pro wrestling, a "receipt" is an ass-kicking that you brought upon yourself. It comes from the cardinal rule of the business -- always take care of your opponent. If you fail to do that, the repercussions will fall squarely on your head (often via chair shot).

The Undertaker recently explained the purpose of giving receipts in wrestling. "I'm pretty patient [when it comes to giving a receipt]. It all depends on intent," the Deadman said. "Some guys just work very snug. I pride myself on my punches. I feel like I can make it look like I can take your head off and not touch you. Every once in a while one gets away from me... I'd much rather it be there than it miss. It ain't ballet."

But not all receipts come after a stiff shot gets away. Sometimes a performer delivers a receipt to protect themselves from an unsafe worker, like when Taker had to shut down Giant Gonzalez at Wrestlemania IX. "[Gonzalez] cracks me right across the back of my neck, and then once I get back the feeling in my little fingers... I flipped," Taker recalled on his podcast. "I turned around and just started wailing on him."

Let's go back to classic WWE, the old territories, and even a battle between monsters in Japan. Here are 10 of the most infamous receipts in pro wrestling history.