14 Ups & 5 Downs For AEW In 2021
MJF Vs. Hangman Page is as big a dream bout as anything involving an "ex-WWE guy". That's because...
Everybody's list will look different, so an attempt has been made here to analyse AEW's 2021 output somewhat objectively.
What drew drew, what was brilliant was echoed in virtually every arena, and what little was actively bad is very much buried by consensus. There are no viral Twitter threads putting over the intricate details of the Matt Hardy Vs. Orange Cassidy programme, are there?
Subjectively, much of the Inner Circle Vs. American Top Team programme was crap. Misogyny and homophobia was volleyed over the dreaded invisible wall, and Chris Jericho's singalong patter was excruciating, but the feud was ridiculously over in arenas, Dan Lambert's meltdowns were funny, and the actual action was improbably entertaining.
Subjectively, Chris Jericho got a bad rap elsewhere. The Labours storyline was a bit uneven, but his matches with Shawn Spears and his singles bouts with MJF were far hotter and more dramatic than their critical reception suggested. MJF's Dynamite win, a pure strain of timeless wrestling drama, might well be the most underrated match of the year.
Certain Dynamite episodes were a mere 7/10, which always felt like a 5 given the euphoria of the 9s. But that's the standard - and almost an 'Up' in itself...