2024 Komander: Taking a Big Leap
A complete recap and match recommendations from the year when AEW’s rope-walking high-flyer made significant strides.
Still in his 20s and relatively young in his professional wrestling career, Komander has already been around for a while. The thing that put him on the radar of AEW fans was his spectacular rope-walk dive to the outside.
In 2023, it seemed like he felt the need to hit this move in every match. The combination of his impressive rope-walking skills and high-flying maneuvers earned him a full-time contract and regular appearances in AEW and ROH. Komander capped off 2023 with a strong showing in the Survival of the Fittest match to crown a new ROH World Television Champion in Kyle Fletcher.
In 2024, Komander’s work ethic paid off as he showcased a much more well-rounded game, proving he could deliver memorable matches without relying solely on his signature spectacular moves. His ability to sell and rally the fans around him became a highlight. Additionally, he improved the way he executed his big dives, doing so in a way that protected his opponents’ credibility. These details elevated his overall skillset, and by the end of 2024, his hard work was evident in both the quality of his matches and the opportunities he earned.
Komander closed the year with a highly emotional victory, capturing the ROH World Television Title at Final Battle. He followed that up with a big upset win over Claudio Castagnoli to close out the Continental Classic, where he substituted for the injured Juice Robinson.
Perhaps the best moment came when fans got a glimpse of the man behind the mask and his journey to reach this point. Looking ahead to 2025, I hope we see more of that man and his real story told on TV.
Get caught up on Komander’s 2024 with these match recommendations and then we’ll dive into his year.
2024 Komander Match Recommendations
My recommendations are a mix of interesting matches that provide a sense of the person, time, or promotion; they’re not necessarily a 'best of.'
ROH World Television Title Brian Cage (c) vs. Willie Mack vs. AR Fox vs. Mark Davis vs. Komander vs. Blake Christian - Survival Of The Fittest Six Way Elimination Match (Dec. 20, 2024 ROH Final Battle). Great show stealing match with the whole Hammerstein Ballroom getting behind the idea of Komander winning.
Komander vs. Kyle Fletcher (Nov. 2 AEW Collision). Best match that week across AEW programming. These two have great chemistry as Fletcher is finding his new heel persona. (Highlights)
Komander vs. The Beast Mortos (Jul. 26 ROH Death Before Dishonor). Very good underdog showing by Komander in a great opener.
Komander vs. Brody King (Dec. 20 AEW Rampage). A great one from the Continental Classic as Komander pushes for the upset against big bad Brody King. Really shows how far he’s come and how he’s earned the crowd’s respect. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Konosuke Takeshita (Mar. 15 AEW Rampage). A blast of a Rampage match. An offensive shootout. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Hechicero (Nov. 30 AEW Rampage). Very good match where they worked great off each other. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Darby Allin (Dec. 7 AEW Collision). They go in a different direction with some matwork before getting crazy. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Buddy Matthews (Aug. 31 AEW Collision). Great speed versus power type match. Komander unleashing some new offense. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Hologram (Oct. 8 AEW Dynamite). They make good guy flyer versus good guy flyer work. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Dec. 25 AEW Dynamite on 34th Street). Good match and good moment as Komander gets a big surprising win in the Continental Classic and ends Claudio’s chances. (Highlights)
From “Good Match Guy” to Champion
Early 2024 saw Komander getting consistent match time including some featured ones against ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy. In February, he began racking up wins on ROH on Honor Club. For much of the year, he filled the “good match in a losing effort” role, but a standout match came on the March 15 episode of Rampage against Konosuke Takeshita. His opportunities continued to grow, including an April 6 Collision main event against Penta. He also teamed occasionally with Metalik during this period.
The second half of 2024 was when Komander truly took off. He became a consistent presence on Rampage and kicked off ROH Death Before Dishonor with an incredible match against The Beast Mortos. He followed that with more standout matches, including a four-way match on Rampage and a thrilling bout on Collision against Buddy Matthews.
In September, Komander joined forces with Private Party to help them in their battles with the DeathRiders. October and November marked his busiest period in AEW and ROH since early in the year, with consistent appearances in featured matchups. During this stretch, he picked up occasional victories, including wins over Lio Rush and Rocky Romero on Rampage.
December saw Komander step in as a replacement for the injured Juice Robinson in the Continental Classic. This opportunity allowed him to shine against high-profile opponents like Ricochet, Darby Allin, Brody King, and Claudio Castagnoli, wowing fans with his performances.
Komander’s crowning achievement came at Final Battle 2024, where he captured the ROH World Television Title in a Survival of the Fittest match. The match was a show-stealer, delivering a highly emotional moment to cap off his year.
Outside of AEW, Komander wrapped up with AAA mid-year and worked occasional dates in Mexico.
More 2024 Komander Match Recommendations:
Gringo Loco & The WorkHorsemen vs. El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander & Lee Johnson (Jan 4 ROH on Honor Club). Good bases for the luchadors.
ROH Pure Title Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Komander (Jan 5 AEW Rampage). Komander gets to show his matwork. (Highlights)
AEW International Title Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Komander (Jan 27 AEW Collision). More matwork and a nice showing for Komander. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Wardlow (Jan 31 AEW Dynamite). Crowd really gets behind Komander against the big man. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Penta (Apr 6 AEW Collision). Main Event of the show and they get the crowd rocking at the end of a double taping. (Highlights)
The Beast Mortos vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Lio Rush vs. Komander (Aug 30 AEW Rampage). An explosive offensive shootout. (Highlights)
ROH World Television Title Match Brian Cage (c) vs. Komander (Oct 24 ROH on Honor Club). Another good big man vs high flyer match. Nice desperation offense from Komander.
Komander vs. Lio Rush (Nov 1 AEW Rampage). A good win for Komander. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Lio Rush (Nov 8 AEW Rampage). A rare back-to-back rematch. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Rocky Romero (Nov 15 AEW Rampage). Fun match and another win for Komander. (Highlights)
Komander vs. Shelton Benjamin (Nov. 16 AEW Collision). Shelton gets to do a lot of power moves and Komander comes off like one of the best guys in the company at helping others look good. (Highlights)
Beast Mortos vs. Komander vs. Dante Martin vs. Buddy Matthews (Nov 23 AEW Full Gear: Zero Hour). Killer all action pre-show match and an epic dive from Komander.
Komander vs. Ricochet (Dec. 6 AEW Rampage). One of Ricochet’s better early showings in AEW. (Highlights)