AEW is known for its epic main event matches, but has also had its fair share of some of the shortest matches in wrestling.
While most wrestling fans love to see lengthy and hard-fought battles, sometimes the shortest matches can be just as exciting. In this article, we’ll be ranking the top 5 shortest matches in AEW history, based on official match times.
From lightning-fast knockouts to unexpected roll-ups, we’ll explore the most memorable moments from AEW’s brief but intense matches.
So, join us as we count down the shortest matches in AEW history and relive some of the most exciting moments in the promotion’s archives
AEW Shortest Matches
In this article, we’ll talk you through the shortest matches in AEW.
We’ll let you know just how quick these matches were, the story behind them, and the competitors involved in the match.
Let us know what you thought of these lightning-fast bouts in the comments section down below, once you’ve finished reading this article.
Ricky Starks vs KC Navarro (5 Seconds)
The shortest AEW match ever took place on AEW Dark, between Ricky Starks and KC Navarro. The bout took place in early 2021, not long before Starks took on Darby Allin & Sting at AEW Revolution.
The bout was always destined to be a squash match, as many on Dark are. Starks was signed to a full-time AEW contract and pegged as a future star, whilst Navarro was an indie wrestler brought in just for the show.
The match lasted only 5 seconds, making it the shortest bout in AEW history. As KC Navarro jumped over the ropes to enter the ring, he was hit with a mid-air spear by Ricky Starks.
Absolute Ricky Starks immediately pinned his opponent, winning the shortest match in AEW history and setting a record that would be a struggle to break in the future.
Samoa Joe vs Serpentico (15 Seconds)
On the August 5th 2023 episode of AEW Collision, Samoa Joe defeated Serpentico in just 15 seconds.
He circled his opponent to start with, before locking in the Coquina Clutch and forcing Serpentico to tap out.
The bout lasted 15 seconds, and is the second quickest match in AEW history.
After the match, Samoa Joe challenged CM Punk to a match at All In at Wembley Stadium.
Kenny Omega vs. Sonny Kiss (20 seconds)
This match took place on the July 8, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite. Omega quickly hit Kiss with a V-Trigger and then pinned him for the win in just 20 seconds.
Kenny Omega had just begun his heel turn after losing the AEW Tag Team Championships, and this match was the start of a legendary heel run
This was one of the few times Sonny Kiss was given a singles match on AEW Dynamite. He has very rarely used in the company, although showed potential with a short-lived tag team with Joey Janela.
The match is one of the shortest in AEW history and one of the few times Kenny Omega has won a match with a V-Trigger. It was also Sonny Kiss’ last match on AEW Dynamite.
Wardlow vs. Baron Black (21 seconds)
This match took place on the November 4, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite. Wardlow quickly hit Black with a F-10 and then pinned him for the win in just 21 seconds.
Wardlow had a number of squashed in AEW over the years, usually winning matches with his signature power bomb.
However, before he made that his finisher, he used a version of Brock Lesnar’s F5, called the F10. He used this in his shortest match yet, hitting it on Barron Black in 21 seconds on AEW Dark.
MJF vs Bryce Donovan (35 Seconds)
MJF had one of the shortest matches in AEW history in one of his rare losses in AEW.
Before he was AEW Champion, MJF was in a short but memorable feud with Darby Allin. He wrestled Allin at Full Gear 2021, but took on Bryce Donovan in a warm-up match on AEW Dynamite weeks before.
MJF squashed the jobber in just over half a minute, hitting his Heatseeker Piledriver and pinning him with just one finger to win the bout.
This goes down as one of the shortest AEW matches ever, but still is a whole 30 seconds slower than Ricky Starks’ record-breaking match.
This was a shorter match than his bout with Shawn Dean in early 2022. MJF lost by DQ to The Captain, thanks to interference by CM Punk in a bout that lasted 47 seconds.