# List of All Elite Wrestling special events

This is a list of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) special events, which primarily includes television specials, such as special episodes of the promotion's weekly television programs, Wednesday Night Dynamite and Saturday Collision, as well as the former Friday Night Rampage. Beginning in mid-March 2020, AEW's events were held at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the promotion resumed live touring in July 2021.

## Specials
### Key

Show key :
* Note
* Show aired as an episode of Dynamite
* Show aired as an episode of Rampage
* Show aired as an episode of Collision
* Show aired as a Battle of the Belts special
* Show aired separately to AEW's weekly series

### 2019

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event | Notes | Ref |
| | Fyter Fest | June 29 | Daytona Beach, Florida | Ocean Center | Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela in an unsanctioned match | Held in conjunction with the Community Effort Orlando eSports tournament. Aired in the United States via B/R Live and internationally on pay-per-view | |
| | Fight for the Fallen | July 13 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. The Brotherhood (Cody and Dustin Rhodes) | Aired in the United States via B/R Live and internationally on pay-per-view | |

### 2020

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event | Notes |
| | Homecoming | January 1 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson) vs. Death Triangle (Pac, Pentagón Jr., and Rey Fénix) | |
| | Bash at the Beach | January 15 | Coral Gables, Florida | Watsco Center | Pac vs. Darby Allin | |
| | Bash at the Beach | January 21 (aired January 22) | Miami, Florida to Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas | Norwegian Pearl | Jon Moxley vs. Pac in a match to determine the number one contender for the AEW World Championship | Held in conjunction with Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea Part Deux: Second Wave |
| | Fyter Fest | July 1 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Kenny Omega and Adam Page (c) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) for the AEW World Tag Team Championship | Initially supposed to be aired as a pay-per-view at Wembley Arena in London, England |
| | Fyter Fest | July 2 (aired July 8) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy | Initially supposed to be aired as a pay-per-view at Wembley Arena in London, England |
| | Fight for the Fallen | July 15 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brian Cage for the AEW World Championship | Initially supposed to be aired as a pay-per-view |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 2 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Jon Moxley (c) vs. Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship | Initially supposed to be aired as a pay-per-view |
| | Holiday Bash | December 17 (aired December 23) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) for the AEW World Tag Team Championship | Aired immediately following the NBA on TNT broadcast of the Celtics vs Bucks game |
| | Brodie Lee Celebration of Life | December 30 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Cody Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, and Preston "10" Vance vs. Team Taz (Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, and Powerhouse Hobbs) | A memorial show dedicated to Brodie Lee |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match ||||||||

### 2021

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event |
| | New Year's Smash | January 6 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Kenny Omega (c) vs. Rey Fénix for the AEW World Championship |
| | New Year's Smash | January 7 (aired January 13) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Darby Allin (c) vs. Brian Cage for the AEW TNT Championship |
| | Beach Break | February 3 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) vs. Jon Moxley and Death Triangle (Pac and Rey Fénix) |
| | St. Patrick's Day Slam | March 11 (aired March 17) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. in an Lights Out match |
| | Blood & Guts | May 5 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | The Pinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, Shawn Spears, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz) in a Blood and Guts match |
| | Road Rager | July 7 | Miami, Florida | James L. Knight Center | The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) vs. Eddie Kingston and Penta El Zero Miedo for the AEW World Tag Team Championship |
| | Fyter Fest | July 14 | Cedar Park, Texas | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park | Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page in a coffin match |
| | Fyter Fest | July 21 | Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | Jon Moxley (c) vs. Lance Archer in a Texas Death match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship |
| | Fight for the Fallen | July 28 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bojangles Coliseum | Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage |
| | Homecoming | August 4 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Cody Rhodes vs. Malakai Black |
| | The First Dance | August 20 | Chicago, Illinois | United Center | Jon Moxley vs. Daniel Garcia |
| | Grand Slam | September 22 | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Ruby Soho for the AEW Women's World Championship |
| | Grand Slam | September 22 (aired September 24) | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer) |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 15 | Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | MJF vs. Dante Martin for the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring |
| | Holiday Bash | December 22 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum | CM Punk, Sting, and Darby Allin vs. The Pinnacle (MJF, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood) |
| | Holiday Bash | December 22 (aired December 25) | Greensboro, North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum | Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the AEW TNT Championship |
| | New Year's Smash | December 29 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Adam Cole and reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, and Orange Cassidy) |
| | New Year's Smash | December 29 (aired December 31) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Cody Rhodes (c) vs Ethan Page for the AEW TNT Championship |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match |||||||

### 2022

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event |
| | Battle of the Belts I | January 8 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bojangles Coliseum | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Riho for the AEW Women's World Championship |
| | Beach Break | January 26 | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center | Adam Cole vs. Orange Cassidy in a Lights Out match |
| | Beach Break | January 26 (aired January 28) | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center | Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus) (c) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) for the AEW World Tag Team Championship |
| | St. Patrick's Day Slam | March 16 | San Antonio, Texas | Freeman Coliseum | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women's World Championship |
| | Battle of the Belts II | April 15 (aired April 16) | Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Nyla Rose for the AEW Women's World Championship |
| | Road Rager | June 15 | St. Louis, Missouri | Chaifetz Arena | Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus) (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) in a Ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship |
| | Road Rager | June 15 (aired June 17) | St. Louis, Missouri | Chaifetz Arena | Darby Allin vs. Bobby Fish |
| | Blood & Guts | June 29 | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars Arena | Eddie Kingston, Santana, Ortiz, and The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli) vs. The Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker) in a Blood and Guts match |
| | Royal Rampage | June 29 (aired July 1) | Detroit, Michigan | Little Caesars Arena | Toni Storm vs. Nyla Rose |
| | Fyter Fest | July 13 | Savannah, Georgia | Enmarket Arena | The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) vs. Team Taz (Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Swerve in Our Glory (Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee) for the AEW World Tag Team Championship |
| | Fyter Fest | July 13 (aired July 15) | Savannah, Georgia | Enmarket Arena | The Lucha Brothers (Penta Oscuro and Rey Fénix) vs. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) |
| | Fyter Fest | July 20 | Duluth, Georgia | Gas South Arena | Eddie Kingston vs. "The Painmaker" Chris Jericho in a Barbed Wire Everywhere Deathmatch The rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society were suspended above the ring in a shark cage. |
| | Fyter Fest | July 20 (aired July 22) | Duluth, Georgia | Gas South Arena | Jay Lethal vs. Christopher Daniels |
| | Battle of the Belts III | August 5 (aired August 6) | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Van Andel Arena | Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the ROH World Championship |
| | Quake by the Lake | August 10 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | Jon Moxley (c) vs. Chris Jericho for the interim AEW World Championship |
| | Quake by the Lake | August 10 (aired August 12) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | Orange Cassidy vs. Ari Daivari |
| | Grand Slam | September 21 | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson for the vacant AEW World Championship |
| | Grand Slam | September 21 (aired September 23) | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Ricky Starks vs. Powerhouse Hobbs in a Lights Out match |
| | Battle of the Belts IV | October 7 | Washington, D.C. | Entertainment and Sports Arena | FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (c) vs Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) for the ROH World Tag Team Championship |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 14 | Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | MJF (c) vs. Ricky Starks in a Winner Takes All match for the AEW World Championship and AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring |
| | Holiday Bash | December 21 | San Antonio, Texas | Freeman Coliseum | Jamie Hayter (c) vs. Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women's World Championship |
| | Holiday Bash | December 21 (aired December 23) | San Antonio, Texas | Freeman Coliseum | Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett vs. Anthony Bowens and Daddy Ass |
| | New Year's Smash | December 28 | Broomfield, Colorado | 1stBank Center | Samoa Joe (c) vs. Wardlow for the AEW TNT Championship |
| | New Year's Smash | December 28 (aired December 30) | Broomfield, Colorado | 1stBank Center | Swerve Strickland vs. Wheeler Yuta |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match |||||||

### 2023

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event |
| | Battle of the Belts V | January 6 | Portland, Oregon | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Kip Sabian for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship |
| | St. Patrick's Day Slam | March 15 (aired March 17) | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Canada Life Centre | Daniel Garcia vs. Brody King |
| | Battle of the Belts VI | April 7 | Kingston, Rhode Island | Ryan Center | The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix) (c) vs. Q. T. Marshall and Powerhouse Hobbs for the ROH World Tag Team Championship |
| | Battle of the Belts VII | July 15 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Scotiabank Saddledome | Luchasaurus (c) vs. Shawn Spears for the AEW TNT Championship |
| | Blood & Guts | July 19 | Boston, Massachusetts | TD Garden | Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta), Konosuke Takeshita, and Pac vs. The Golden Elite (Kenny Omega, "Hangman" Adam Page, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Kota Ibushi) in a Blood and Guts match |
| | Royal Rampage | July 19 (aired July 21) | Boston, Massachusetts | TD Garden | Kris Statlander (c) vs. Marina Shafir for the AEW TBS Championship |
| | Fight for the Fallen | August 16 | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. The Gunns (Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) |
| | Fight for the Fallen | August 16 (aired August 18) | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue vs. The Outcasts (Ruby Soho and Toni Storm) |
| | Fight for the Fallen | August 19 | Lexington, Kentucky | Rupp Arena | Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage |
| | Fyter Fest | August 19 (aired August 25) | Lexington, Kentucky | Rupp Arena | The Outcasts (Saraya and Toni Storm) vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Hikaru Shida |
| | Fyter Fest | August 23 | Duluth, Georgia | Gas South Arena | Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) (c) vs. The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) for the ROH World Tag Team Championship |
| | Fyter Fest | August 23 (aired August 26) | Duluth, Georgia | Gas South Arena | Darby Allin, Sting, Hook, and CM Punk vs. Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage and Swerve Strickland), Jay White, and Luchasaurus in an All In all-star eight-man tag team match |
| | Grand Slam | September 20 | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | MJF (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship |
| | Grand Slam | September 20 (aired September 22) | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona) (c) vs. The Elite (Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and "Hangman" Adam Page) for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship |
| | Battle of the Belts VIII | October 21 | Memphis, Tennessee | FedExForum | The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn (c) vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Daniel Garcia for the AEW World Trios Championship |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 13 | Arlington, Texas | College Park Center | Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic tournament |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 13 (aired December 15) | Arlington, Texas | College Park Center | Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) and Action Andretti vs. Komander, El Hijo del Vikingo, and Penta El Zero Miedo |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 16 | Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King in a Blue League match of the Continental Classic tournament |
| | Holiday Bash | December 20 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Paycom Center | Jay White vs. Jon Moxley in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic tournament |
| | Holiday Bash | December 20 (aired December 22) | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Paycom Center | El Hijo del Vikingo (c) vs. Black Taurus for the AAA Mega Championship |
| | Holiday Bash | December 23 | San Antonio, Texas | Frost Bank Center | Eddie Kingston vs. Andrade El Idolo in a Blue League match of the Continental Classic tournament |
| | New Year's Smash | December 27 | Orlando, Florida | Addition Financial Arena | MJF (c) vs. The Devil's Masked Men in a 2-on-1 handicap match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship |
| | New Year's Smash | December 27 (aired December 29) | Orlando, Florida | Addition Financial Arena | Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta, and Rocky Romero vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) and Action Andretti |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match |||||||

### 2024

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event | Notes |
| | Homecoming | January 10 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Sting and Darby Allin vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs) in a Texas Tornado match | |
| | Homecoming | January 10 (aired January 12) | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | The Dark Order (Evil Uno, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds) vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Jake Hager | |
| | Battle of the Belts IX | January 13 | Norfolk, Virginia | Chartway Arena | Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Preston Vance for the AEW International Championship | |
| | Big Business | March 13 | Boston, Massachusetts | TD Garden | Willow Nightingale vs. Riho | |
| | Battle of the Belts X | April 13 | Highland Heights, Kentucky | Truist Arena | Athena (c) vs. Red Velvet for the ROH Women's World Championship | |
| | Beach Break | July 3 | Chicago, Illinois | Wintrust Arena | Will Ospreay vs. Daniel Garcia for the AEW International Championship | |
| | Beach Break | July 3 (aired July 5) | Chicago, Illinois | Wintrust Arena | Mariah May vs. Hikaru Shida | |
| | Blood & Guts | July 24 | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | Team AEW (Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, Darby Allin, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens) vs. Team Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and "Hangman" Adam Page) in a Blood and Guts match | |
| | Royal Rampage | July 24 (aired July 26) | Nashville, Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | Private Party (Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy) vs. The Don Callis Family (Rush and Kyle Fletcher) vs. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) vs. The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch) | |
| | Battle of the Belts XI | July 27 | Arlington, Texas | Esports Stadium Arlington | Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich) vs. Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) for the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship | Held as part of the 5-week Path to All In residency |
| | Grand Slam | September 25 | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley to determine the number one contender to the AEW World Championship | |
| | Grand Slam | September 25 (aired September 28) | Queens, New York | Arthur Ashe Stadium | Kazuchika Okada vs. Sammy Guevara in an AEW Continental Championship Eliminator match | |
| | Title Tuesday | October 8 | Spokane, Washington | Spokane Arena | Bryan Danielson and Wheeler Yuta vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Pac | |
| | Battle of the Belts XII | October 17 (aired October 19) | Stockton, California | Adventist Health Arena | Mariah May (c) vs. Anna Jay in an AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator match | |
| | Fright Night Dynamite | October 30 | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center | Swerve Strickland vs. Shelton Benjamin | |
| | Thanksgiving Eve Dynamite | November 27 | Chicago, Illinois | Wintrust Arena | Brody King vs. Darby Allin in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic tournament | |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 11 | Kansas City, Missouri | T-Mobile Center | Mariah May (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa for the AEW Women's World Championship | |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 11 (aired December 13) | Kansas City, Missouri | T-Mobile Center | Powerhouse Hobbs and Mark Davis vs. The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita and Lance Archer) | |
| | Winter Is Coming | December 12 (aired December 14) | St. Louis, Missouri | Chaifetz Arena | Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe in a Blue League match of the Continental Classic tournament | |
| | Holiday Bash | December 18 | Washington, D.C. | Entertainment & Sports Arena | Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Pac, and Wheeler Yuta) vs. "Hangman" Adam Page, Jay White, and Orange Cassidy | |
| | Holiday Bash | December 18 (aired December 20) | Washington, D.C. | Entertainment & Sports Arena | Brody King vs. Komander in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic tournament | |
| | Christmas Collision | December 21 | New York City, New York | Hammerstein Ballroom | Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli in a Gold League match of the Continental Classic | Held as part of a 3-day residency at the Hammerstein Ballroom |
| | Dynamite on 34th Street | December 22 (aired December 25) | New York City, New York | Hammerstein Ballroom | Kyle Fletcher vs. Daniel Garcia in a Blue League match of the Continental Classic | Held as part of a 3-day residency at the Hammerstein Ballroom |
| | New Year's Smash | December 22 (aired December 27) | New York City, New York | Hammerstein Ballroom | Hook vs. Nick Wayne | The final episode of Rampage Held as part of a 3-day residency at the Hammerstein Ballroom |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match ||||||||

### 2025

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue | Main event | Notes |
| | Fight for the Fallen | January 1 | Asheville, North Carolina | Harrah's Cherokee Center | Rated FTR (Cope, Cash Wheeler, and Dax Harwood) vs. Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta) | |
| | Maximum Carnage | January 15 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Brady Music Center | Jon Moxley (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs for the AEW World Championship | |
| | Maximum Carnage | January 16 (aired January 18) | Cincinnati, Ohio | Brady Music Center | Powerhouse Hobbs, The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd), and Rated FTR (Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, and Cope) vs. Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta) and The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho, Big Bill, and Bryan Keith) | Initially supposed to be held at the Broadbent Arena in Louisville, Kentucky |
| | Homecoming | January 25 | Jacksonville, Florida | Daily's Place | Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the AEW International Championship | |
| | Grand Slam Australia | February 15 | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Mariah May (c) vs. "Timeless" Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship | Aired during the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend, which pre-empted that week's regular airing of Collision Initially supposed to be a pay-per-view event held at Suncorp Stadium |
| | Global Wars Australia | February 15 (aired February 17) | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Athena (c) vs. Alex Windsor for the ROH Women's World Championship | Co-produced with Ring of Honor |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match ||||||||

### Upcoming Specials
## 2025

| Event | Event | Date | Location | Venue |
| | Slam Dunk Saturday | March 19 (aired March 22) | Omaha, Nebraska | Liberty First Credit Union Arena |
| | Slam Dunk Sunday | March 19 (aired March 23) | Omaha, Nebraska | Liberty First Credit Union Arena |
| (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match ||||||||