The event saw the highly anticipated debut of CM Punk in AEW, who had been retired from professional wrestling following an acrimonious departure from WWE in January 2014.

[7] Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the supplementary online streaming shows, Dark and Elevation, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.

Jungle Boy pinned Quen after performing his tag team finisher with Luchasaurus to win the match and advance in the tournament.

After the match, Moxley was attacked by 2.0 and Garcia, but Kingston, Darby Allin, and Sting came to his aid and helped clear the ring of the three as the show went off the air.

The First Dance received universally positive reviews, with the debut of CM Punk being singled out by many critics as one of the most important and significant moments in AEW's history.

[10][11][12] Patrick Moynahan of Pro Wrestling Torch described the show as "amazing" and stated that after only two weeks of being on air, Rampage had already become "must-watch TV.

[14] Sports journalist Dave Meltzer wrote that the debut of Punk "drew one of the most amazing audience reactions to a pro wrestler in U.S.