AEW Fight Forever pokes fun at infamous Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch with Easter Egg

Fans of AEW Fight Forever might be interested to know of an incredible Easter Egg that celebrates one of the most iconic moments, for better or for worse, in All Elite Wrestling’s history – the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch.

AEW Fight Forever is the first game from All Elite Wrestling and allows fans to experience the chaos of the wrestling company. The art form can take many shapes and it’s safe to say that the American-based company represents the more entertainment-based side of wrestling.

Whereas Greco-Roman wrestling harks back to the roots of competitive amateur wrestling and its existence in the Olympics, modern-day professional wrestling is larger-than-life action filled with insane athleticism, stunts, and antics. AEW Fight Forever celebrates the formative years of the company, and this is evident with the inclusion of the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch.

The game mode allows players to duke it out in an AEW ring in which the ropes are covered in barbed wire that will cut and burn participants due to the hazardous barbs and rigged explosions. AEW Revolution 2021 was the scene of the company’s first-ever match of this type, and it forever lives in infamy.

All Elite Wrestling

Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch Easter Egg tribute in AEW Fight Forever

During Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega’s ultraviolent Exploding Barbed Wired Deathmatch at Revolution 2021, the two men maimed each other with sadistic weapons, a plethora of barbed wire, and a handful of controlled explosions.

The classic match eventually ended when Omega retained his AEW World Championship – due to outside interference. However, the main selling point of the match was the rigged explosion that would see the supposed devastation of the squared circle and its ringside area.

After a dramatic countdown reached 0:00 following the match, the apocalyptic blast advertised was not forthcoming. Instead, sparkler-like effects harmlessly poured out of the four ring posts and a small bang finished the sequence off.

It was one of the company’s biggest letdowns and the promised display turned out to be a botched dud.

AEW Fight Forever doesn’t shy away from this fact though. If players choose the match type, there will be a 2-minute countdown from the match’s beginning. After this expires, the ring will trigger a series of bright and bold explosions that will damage all participants in the match – resembling more like what was expected in the real-life match.

Yuke’s

But, if players progress through AEW Fight Forever and explore the game’s shop, eventually, a new Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch explosion will become available. If players part with 30,000 AEW Cash, they can acquire this mysterious option.

If players choose the match and go to its settings, they can change the type of explosion to a “Historic” one. Once the 2-minute timer expires with this new setting, the game will instead simulate the botched version of the ring explosion almost play-for-play.

It’s a great little nod to something that has since become etched in the history of AEW. The company did move on from the incident and is now preparing for its first-ever UK show – AEW: All In London at Wembley Stadium.