Category: Lists

After talking about WWE a couple of weeks ago, the time has come to see the best of what AEW has had to offer this year.

As my interest in WWE has waned significantly in 2021, my interest in AEW has grown twice as much. I can’t pinpoint exactly why it is. Truthfully, there are several reasons. All I can say for certain is that at this exact moment – while I like both companies – I consider myself more of an AEW fan than a WWE fan.

That wasn’t something I’d expected I’d ever say, but AEW has done a fantastic job of appealing to exactly what I want out of wrestling and is yet to let me down in a major way like WWE regularly do. That’s not to say the company’s flawless. I’ll talk about some of that throughout this list, but I know which wrestling company I’d rather spend more of my time watching right now.

12 – Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston – Rampage 29th October
(Eliminator Tournament Semi-Final)

Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson featured in two matches on my WWE list, and you can be damn sure he’s going to feature on more than one here, in what you could argue has been the best year of his career. I wasn’t sure how he was going to fit into AEW when he left WWE, but he’s just been getting better and better.

Eddie Kingston has had a similarly great year. I’ll talk about it in more depth shortly, but his fire and passion for pro-wrestling are like nothing I’ve ever seen, and he has all the potential to be the biggest star in the industry if he wants to, even if he isn’t the most polished in the ring.

Arguably, it’s that lack of polish that makes Kingston’s matches so great to watch, especially when in the ring with an ultra-polished technician like Bryan. Kingston fought with the level of scruffy desperation that he always does, and Bryan used that to his advantage to slowly wear Kingston down and out-pace him throughout the match.

He weathered the storm of Kingston’s brutal onslaughts and picked his openings to take control. It’s classic psychology, but they meshed so well together and made for an intense bout that Kingston even carried with him after it was over.

11 – MJF vs Darby Allin – Full Gear

For those who claim AEW has “no future” and “doesn’t build new stars”, I wonder if they keep their eyes tightly shut during matches like this. While MJF espousing the “pillars” of AEW’s future might be a bit over the top and self-aggrandising, there is a level of truth to it. There’s absolutely no question that both of these men will have great AEW World Championship reigns at some point in their careers.

Both of these men have such clearly defined characters, and they understand exactly how their characters should interact with the world around them. MJF talks and talks and talks, forging words that can make crowds react however he wants. Darby, meanwhile, is closed off and only talks when he has something impactful to say. They really are polar opposites of each other, and I have no doubt that they will have multiple feuds throughout their careers.

I certainly hope they do, at least, because if this match is anything to go by, their future matches could be some of the best the company will ever see. People praise MJF’s talking skills all the time (and rightfully so), but his ability for in-ring storytelling is just as strong. No matter who his opponent is, he knows exactly how to get the most heat out of the situation.

Allin, of course, is worthy of this praise too. He’s the kind of cool babyface WWE don’t understand how to make at the moment, and he has such a great command over maintaining that persona, even when getting his arse kicked in the ring.

To put it simply, these were two men with incredible in-ring chemistry letting loose and putting on a show.

10 – Hikaru Shida(c) vs Britt Baker – Double or Nothing
(AEW Women’s World Championship)

Throughout 2020, I heavily criticised AEW for its failure to treat its women’s division properly. In 2021, the problem definitely isn’t solved; however, they have made significant steps in the right direction. The TBS Championship has showcased the depth of the division and ensured that there is more than one major story on the go in the division at any given time.

Their other biggest positive step was putting the belt on Britt Baker, who is arguably one of their most popular wrestlers right now, despite being a heel. That’s not to be down on Hikaru Shida, her title run was full of brilliant matches, but the company treated it poorly, which tainted it. Britt Baker, meanwhile, has gotten the right kind of treatment and feels like a big deal because of it.

This match was a showcase of exactly what makes both of these women so great. Shida allowed her babyface potential to flourish and showed how a babyface’s in-ring style can be sufficiently brutal and hard-hitting. Baker, meanwhile, upped her heel game, allowing her character to take centre-stage, which enhanced all of her excellent in-ring work.

Even though the crowd was cheering Britt Baker, the heel, when she won, it still felt like the story had been told effectively, and it’s telling that following that match, she gets the boos, despite still being popular with fans.

9 – CM Punk vs Eddie Kingston – Full Gear

Just about everything that can be said about CM Punk’s return earlier this year has already been said, but I’m still so thrilled to see him on TV week-to-week. I started watching WWE in December 2013, and he’d be gone from the company just a month later. It meant that while I love his work, I only ever got to experience it through the lens of history.

Ever since Punk has come back, his presence has felt truly special. His handling hasn’t been perfect, but at the moment, he’s in a situation where his star won’t fade as long as he’s handled at least semi-competently. His current work with MJF is fantastic, but the first true glimpse of the “Punk of old” we got was this feud with Eddie Kingston.

Usually, in wrestling, the point of the story is to serve the match. However, this was a case where it felt like the match was serving the story. I mean this in a good way, to be clear. This match was simply a physical version of their first promo battle. They fought messy and dirty but still beat the ever-loving shit out of each other.

In just eleven minutes, they put on a gripping match that could’ve been the main event of any Pay-Per-View and worked so hard to stand out from the other brilliant matches on Full Gear’s stacked card. Punk can still create incredible wrestling matches and moments like he did in his WWE heyday, and anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves.

8 – The Young Bucks(c) vs Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston – Double or Nothing
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)

After Moxley lost the AEW World Championship at the end of 2020, there was some worry about how he’d fit into the roster when not in the main event. He cooled off significantly in the second half of the year, but throughout Spring and early Summer, he was as hot as ever.

AEW’s fantastic treatment of its Tag Team division means that when the big matches roll around, it feels like a main event scene in and of itself. Moxley & Kingston feel like two men bound in spirit for all sorts of reasons, and watching them officially team up throughout the year was a joy.

The ironic thing about AEW having consistently amazing tag matches on PPV is that you start to run out of new things to say about them after a while. The Young Bucks did what they always do best, pulling big moves and exciting action out of any opponent they step in the ring with.

Not that Moxley or Kingston needed that “pulling out” of them. They’re firmly on the Bucks’ level. They brought an extra dose of brutality to this kind of match, which isn’t seen very often in the fast and flippy world of AEW Tag Team wrestling. I think that’s what made it stand out to me. Every major tag match the Bucks have is incredible, but this felt unique compared to the rest.

7 – The Lucha Bros(c) vs FTR – Full Gear
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)

The other side of the “always incredible tag team matches” coin is The Lucha Bros, who finally feel like they’ve been truly unleashed on AEW as a team. They’ve been putting on hype-worthy matches in both the tag & singles division since AEW started, but now they’re finally the focal point of the tag world.

Their feud with FTR was an odd one, especially since it started with them taking the AAA tag titles. A genius move, don’t get me wrong, it just felt a tad messy in terms of storytelling. That said, the themes were clear. FTR have no respect for the Lucha Libre style, and they were on a mission to destroy it.

This plays through in the match, as FTR are geniuses at getting the most heat out of a match depending on their opponents. Over the years, I’ve professed my love for their style all I can, and watching The Lucha Bros collide with it was as joyous an experience as I expected.

The pace was start-and-stop enough to give someone whiplash, but that’s exactly what the story needed. When the openings came for Lucha Bros to get their signature style into the match, they made the most of it before FTR shut it down. The last section was classic near-fall drama, which rounded off an exciting match with several highs.

6 – Bryan Danielson vs Minoru Suzuki – Rampage 15th October

I’ve never been as into Japanese wrestling as I’d like to be. I did my best to keep up with it for a few years, but once AEW started, I didn’t have the time or energy to keep watching NJPW. It’s a shame, because, on the rare occasion I watch a show, I always have a good time. More importantly, the one man I always love watching more the most others is Minoru Suzuki.

He carries himself with an aura of complete indestructibility, but he’s not some big-guy monster-type. His style is genius and technical and meshes perfectly with wrestlers who are traditionally a bit more flashy in the ring. Thankfully, Bryan Danielson is a man who knows how to do both.

The reason why I love a match like this is similar to why I love just about any match Walter puts on. It’s hard-hitting, brutal and exhausting to watch (in a fun way) and builds moves and spots that are traditionally a bit more mundane (by modern standards) to be match-ending high spots.

At its core, this is two of the best technical wrestlers in the world doing what they do best, and that’s always a recipe for success. A recipe that AEW knows to let speak for itself, rather than muddying the waters like a certain other company.

5 – Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson – Dynamite 22nd September

From this point upwards, ordering this list was insanely difficult. All five of the matches I’m about to talk about were simply incredible in their own way. In a situation like this, what ranks highest comes down entirely to personal preference, so that’s what I’ll try to explain.

Having come into the wrestling world on WWE’s style of wrestling, the idea of time limits on matches seemed weird to me. I’d seen NJPW do it, but the idea of having a match go for 30 or even 60 minutes and then on a draw seemed like an awful idea.

I didn’t hate it when Okada & Omega did it a few years ago, but this year I really saw exactly how brilliant of a narrative tool it could be. Two major matches accomplished this, and this one was the first. Omega & Bryan have long been regarded by many as the two best wrestlers in the world today, so people immediately wanted to see it when Bryan showed up in AEW.

Thankfully, Tony Khan knew that’s what everyone wanted and booked it immediately. To say it was what everyone was hoping for would be an understatement. I don’t think words can adequately describe the spectacle these two put on, two of the best to ever do it, in their prime, working their asses off.

While the rematch hasn’t happened yet, this 30-minute draw has kept it at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and people will pay through the nose to see it whenever it happens.

4 – Hangman Adam Page(c) vs Bryan Danielson – Winter Is Coming
(AEW World Championship)

The second big-time limit draw of the year, this one was even more impressive for various reasons.

Firstly, it was 60 minutes instead of 30, and yet the action never once dipped. As far as hour-long matches go, I’ve seen a few better-constructed ones, but I was still completely and totally gripped from start to finish by this one. Secondly, it was for the title, which gave it such a more important aura than the previous one, where the lack of the title took away from the drama somewhat.

I think it shows just how much faith everyone had in Hangman Page that they threw this match at him as his very first match as World Champion. His skill was never in any doubt, but even some of the best wrestlers couldn’t make an hour-long match entertaining the whole way through. Both in storyline and in real life, this felt like a true test of what kind of Champion Page could be, and he passed with flying colours.

I have no idea how the rematch will go down in a couple of weeks, but I know I’ll be just as glued to my screen as I was while this one was on.

While I’ve been busy in the latter half of this year writing content for GameRant and Keengamer, I still wanted to come back to my personal page this December and cover my favourite parts of my favourite things from the year. WWE, AEW, games old & new will all be covered over the next month.

I’m starting with WWE because, truth be told, I’ve enjoyed WWE a lot less this year than previously. I’ll talk about it more in my AEW list, but I’ve found myself really losing interest in what the company is showing week-to-week. That’s not even mentioning all of their horrible business practices and baffling creative decisions that have intensified this past year.

That said, I’d be a fool to deny the fact that the company put on some cracking shows throughout the year. While weekly TV is still pretty dire, WWE’s Pay-Per-View output has been mostly great in 2021, a darn sight better than what 2020 offered.

11 – Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair – Survivor Series

The situation surrounding this match was odd, to say the least. The heat between Becky & Charlotte seems to come from a genuine place, but the way it was used on TV took the reality out of it a bit. It’s hard to say for sure where the line between kayfabe and reality was, and we’ll probably never know until both women retire and include it in the books they’ll inevitably write.

What I can say, though, is that it led to a somewhat strange, but very compelling match between them. Going in, I had very little interest since Becky vs Charlotte had been done to death by this point, but this wasn’t like anything they’d done before. Both women were technically heels and they brought in this real heat everyone’s been hearing about to create a great match.

There were so many sections in there where they wrestled almost like it was a shoot. I don’t mean actually hitting each other, but doing the kind of things that often happen when a match breaks down. Awkward shoving, an exchange of sloppy strikes, that kind of thing. They knew exactly the story they were playing with and built a match around it.

The finish could’ve been a bit better, rollups are stupidly overdone, but it’s very much an in-character move for both wrestlers.

10 – Finn Balor(c) vs Pete Dunne – NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day
(NXT Championship)

A quick moment of silence to mourn the loss of NXT as it was.

…

*sigh*

One of WWE’s worst decisions this year has been “NXT 2.0” and everything it entails. They deliberately and systematically dismantled everything about what was my favourite wrestling brand for many years, and rebuilt it in the shape of mid-2000s WWE; the worst version of WWE.

Putting my endless complaints about that aside, the first half of 2021 was stuffed to the brim with the usual NXT magic, and this match is just the tip of that iceberg.

Balor & Dunne are two guys who you know will click in the ring as soon as look at them. Balor flourished during his second run with the NXT title, able to work both face and heel styles with ease. He could bust out the fast-pace crowd-popping stuff, but took great care with the slow technicalities of his opponents.

This style made Dunne a perfect opponent. Dunne’s all about keeping his opponents grounded and picking them apart with carefully-placed attacks. Balor could go for extended sequences of counter-wrestling, before bursting free with something flashy. It felt like they were slightly stiffer with their strikes in places too, bringing together a proper battle.

9 – Cameron Grimes vs LA Knight – NXT Takeover: In Your House
(Million Dollar Championship)
(Ladder)

Cameron Grimes was an unexpected star this year. His comedic chops were always obvious, but it never felt like he’d rise about the lower mid-card in NXT. However, the right story came along at the right time and sent him…well, you know.

His unexpected wealth that came from the GameStop stock bump at the start of the year created this brilliant character of something with all the money in the world, but no idea how to be rich. To describe any of the comedic segments would rob them of their glory, but I can assure you they were all fantastic.

LA Knight was the perfect foil in this instance, and they created a story that elevated both men and all of the matches they had together. Naturally, Ted Dibiase was on hand to throw some money around, and the Million Dollar Championship gave it a strong set of stakes.

That match itself culminated everything perfectly. Ladder matches tend to be multi-man affairs these days, but this was a reminder that one-on-one variations of the match can be just as thrilling. Unlike a multi-man, these two were able to tell a very strong story using the ladders while the pace steadily escalated to miraculous heights.

8 – Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn – Smackdown 2nd July
(Last Man Standing)

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are the definitions of “destined to do this forever”, topped perhaps only by Bayley and Sasha Banks.

Their feud surrounding and after Wrestlemania was pretty great for the most part. While Logan Paul was certainly an unwelcome addition, Zayn was able to make it work better than I expected. They had a bunch of matches throughout the year, and all of them were good-to-great, but this was by far the best one.

On free TV and to qualify in the Money in the Bank ladder match, these two destroyed each other in the most fun-to-watch way possible. Whether intentional or not, it felt like it wrapped up all the elements from the few times they’ve feuded in their WWE career.

The action was mad but had a good pace to it. Last Man Standing matches can often get really dull with all the counting to 10 the referee has to do, but this match got it right. The escalation of the destruction was on point, with every spot building on the last as they tried to put each other out to pasture.

If this is the last match these two ever have in WWE (which might be the case if the rumours about Owens’ contract are true) then it will be the perfect finale for their time in the company together.

7 – Roman Reigns(c) vs Daniel Bryan – Smackdown 30th April
(Universal Championship)
(Daniel Bryan Leaves Smackdown If He Loses)

If anyone ever had any doubt that Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson is the best wrestler in the world today, then his performances across 2021 should put those doubts to rest. This man is going to appear multiple times in both my WWE & AEW lists this year. To think just three years ago we thought he’d never wrestler again.

As the culmination (for now) of Bryan’s WWE career, this was a brilliant way to go out. His involvement with Roman Reigns through the spring was a rousing success at every turn and showed the best sides of both characters. Reigns has firmly taken his place as the evil overlord of WWE this year, and the ways he continually competed with Bryan in the ring and in promos is a big part of that.

Reigns’ style at the moment can be a bit lacking at times, but when he’s in the ring with someone who can make the most of it, he shines brighter than ever before. His match with Cesaro at Backlash was a close contender for this list, for that very reason.

Reigns’ slow way of wearing his opponent down absolutely has its place in the modern wrestling scene and this match proves why. Yes, when he does with with someone like Orton, it’s dull, but when he does it to a guy like Bryan who is an expert at mat-based counter-wrestling, it’s a thing of beauty and makes Roman seem untouchable, even when he’s having to cheat to win.

6 – Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly – NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver
(Unsanctioned)

Adam Cole is another name who has made a huge splash across both companies in 2021, and it’s wonderful that his last feud in NXT was one as epic as this.

While crowds have turned on Kyle O’Reilly lately (and given the crap NXT 2.0 has him doing, I can’t say I blame them) performances like this prove he absolutely could be the face of NXT with the right booking. He has the charisma, and the in-ring prowess to do it all.

The pair had a few matches throughout the year, and each one appeals to people differently dependant on their tastes. Personally, I prefer this first match because of the epic atmosphere surrounding it. The criticisms against it are valid, and the kickouts did get a bit ridiculous, but I think people let that take too much away from the rest of what there was.

This truly felt like two men who couldn’t stand the sight of each other trying to end the other’s career. The spots were cool, absolutely, but it was the way each man performed these spots that brought the story to the forefront and made sure the audience were constantly feeling the burn of their hatred for each other.

Even the endless kickouts played to this somewhat. It felt almost like they were staying in the match purely out of spite for each other.

5 – Sasha Banks(c) vs Bianca Belair – Wrestlemania 37
(Smackdown Women’s Championship)

The duel main events of Wrestlemania absolutely crushed it this year. I’ll talk about Night 2 shortly, but Night 1 was equally as wonderful.

Sometimes the content of a match is secondary to the momentous occasion, and the atmosphere of the room on the night. This was absolutely one of those cases. The shot of Sasha and Bianca taking it all in at the start was utterly beautiful. Few wrestlers get this epic of a coronation, it was Bianca Belair’s night and she owned it.

Everything came together how it should. The wrestlers had all the chemistry in the world, the entire crowd was behind Belair and the story had pulled the best out of both women. Sasha got to play the heel, which is objectively where she’s best, and Bianca knew exactly how to play off it. Belair felt powerful, endlessly likeable and so very deserving of the championship.

The moment-to-moment action was virtually flawless, with a handful of memorable spots thrown in for good measure. However, everything surrounding it is what will make this go down in history as an all-time great Wrestlemania match.

4 – Roman Reigns(c) vs Edge vs Daniel Bryan – Wrestlemania 37
(Universal Championship)

Triple Threat Wrestlemania main-events are apparently sure-fire recipes for brilliance, there’s never been a bad one.

This match had everything going for it. It was Edge’s first world title shot since his return, Daniel Bryan was the underdog once again, worming his way into the match unexpectedly. Roman Reigns was the unstoppable force. In hindsight, Reigns winning was pretty obvious, but the build was so brilliant that, in the moment, I thought all three men had equal odds of winning.

The match itself was a beautiful mix of technical prowess, fast manoeuvres and slow, hard-hitting action. Reigns’ slower style went over so well in this triple threat environment, as the third man could constantly keep things going. It largely shunned the major tropes of the match too, there were very few times where one man was removed from the situation.

The action built in every meaningful way, with The Usos getting involved, all kinds of weapons brought into play and all three men getting believable nearfalls. The stacking for the finish was brilliant too, both Bryan & Edge had done enough that it didn’t damage their credibility and it boosted Reigns to the monster we see today.

3 – Walter(c) vs Tommaso Ciampa – NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver
(United Kingdom Championship)

Walter became NXT’s best wrestler slow gradually, I didn’t even notice…or maybe he’s just been this good the entire time.

I’ve sung Walter’s praises before. His match with Pete Dunne was my 2019 match of the year, and his first match with Ilja Dragunov in late 2020 made the whole internet sit up and take notice. The man continued this roll into 2021, with not just one, but two incredible Takeover matches.

The first was against Ciampa at Stand & Deliver, and there was a lot of hype going into this one, knowing it was sure to be a killer match. Ciampa is no stranger to working a hard-hitting style, but here his quick & technical manoeuvres served him better against the mass of meat that is Walter.

The most memorable moment of the match, which I can’t fail to mention is when Walter chopped THROUGH the announce table, splitting a section of it in half. The man has always had the best chops in the business, but seeing something like that was one of those “holy shit” moments that make a match feel special.

The rest of it was technical mastery, and to try and describe it would rob it of some of its magic. It just built and built and built until one man simply couldn’t carry on.

2 – Women’s Royal Rumble – Royal Rumble

Both Royal Rumbles were brilliant this year. The men’s had an emotional story and all the fun action people want from the match, but it was the women’s Rumble that had that little something extra.

I’ve talked about Bianca Belair’s rise to the top already, but this was yet another monumental moment on that path. The booking of the match was utterly spectacular the entire way through. Belair coming in at Number 3 let him shine several times in the match, especially against her long-time rival, Bayley, who carried a significant portion of the action.

The first seven entrants of the match were some of the best wrestlers on the roster, including a number of notable NXT entrants, making the thing feel really star-studded early on. The ring got pretty full pretty quickly, and that meant there was always plenty going on, and everyone was getting their stuff in. This is when Royal Rumbles are at their best.

Once all the entrants were in, things got real exciting real fast. Charlotte, Rhea & Bianca were the absolute perfect picks for the final three because they all easily could’ve won the thing. What’s more is it was two wrestler the fans really wanted to win vs Charlotte, who was not popular at the time.

Having the younger women team up on Charlotte was the right decision, and having Rhea & Bianca duke it out in the final two made the thing so very tense, and one of the most exciting final twos in recent memory. Both women could’ve won, but it was Bianca Belair’s night, and to say she earned it would be an understatement.

1 – Walter(c) vs Ilja Dragunov – NXT Takeover 36
(United Kingdom Championship)

I still feel like I’m reeling from it all these months later.

After their match set the wrestling world on fire in late 2020, a rematch was a certainty. It also made Dragunov the clear and obvious choice to end Walter’s historic 800+ day title reign.

If they beat the life out of each other in their first match, in this one they damn-near murdered each other. It felt more brutal than any weapons match I’ve ever seen in the best way possible. Dragunov’s determination to topple Walter came through loud and clear and made it impossible not to root for him.

The fact that he didn’t try to use any tricks to take Walter down was noteworthy either. He wanted to beat Walter at his own game, just hitting the man as hard as he possibly could until something finally gave. The way they continually leathered each other with strikes and chops of all kinds was mindblowing and way more compelling than you’d think it would be.

Each man’s technical prowess shined through clear as day too. This was a masterclass in mat-based wrestling, a style I didn’t think I enjoyed just a few years ago, but now adore.

Then, of course, it was topped off in the glorious emotional climax of Dragunov finally putting the nails in Walter’s coffin and winning the title. The fact that he actually made him tap was incredible. Walter seems like the kind of character that should never tap, but it didn’t diminish him by doing this, it just made Dragunov’s win the definitive article.