10 Best Wrestlers Of 2021
1. Bryan Danielson
In 2021, Bryan Danielson...
... was the most consistent television wrestler in WWE, working a Cesaro mini-feud that was as compelling between the ropes in three minutes as it was in 10, then delivering an underrated series of bangers opposite Jey Uso, setting him up for entry into the WrestleMania 37 program.
... saved a WrestleMania Universal Title that was drier than unbuttered toast as a singles feud. Despite their perceived stardom, Roman Reigns and Edge struggled to raise excitement and engagement for what would become a night two main event, with television ratings struggling to creep beyond the norm. Edge had one particularly bad week where he bombed three individual shows (Raw, NXT, and SmackDown) while teasing which title he'd challenge for after Royal Rumble 2021. Bryan added immediate creative juice and anchored the Triple Threat at 'Mania itself, glueing Edge's hard work and Reigns' bombast together in an excellent bout.
... hooked the world on a stipulation jaded wrestling fans haven't been able to invest in for decades, putting his WWE career up against Roman's Universal strap.
... remained integral to the pro wrestling conversation while inactive for four months. Even when not on television, speculation on Danielson's future made him as relevant as anybody competing on Raw, SmackDown, or Dynamite.
... helped lead AEW to its most successful pay-per-view of all time in All Out 2021. Many of those 205,000 buys will have come from the appeal of CM Punk's first wrestling match in seven years, though Danielson (and Adam Cole to a lesser extent) potentially showing up was unquestionably a factor as well. The debut itself was sensational, too, with Danielson's arrival the knockout blow in a one-two punch with Cole.
... reprised his most compelling character as the American Dragon, a borderline sociopathic competitor driven by the unflinching desire to prove himself the best in the world, whose willingness to operate as nastily as he can without breaking obvious rules (or becoming flat-out evil) allows him to operate effectively on either side of the alignment scale.
... demonstrated unparalleled range between the ropes. Danielson has the Terry Funk gene in that he is as tremendous a face as he is a hell. He's as great in five minutes as he is 35, a world-class singles and tag wrestler, with a firm grasp of every style imaginable. Big-time bouts with Minoru Suzuki, Kenny Omega, Roman Reigns, and more stand amongst the best matches of 2021 anywhere in the world. In more concise midcard offerings with Cesaro, Jey Uso, Alan Angels, Evil Uno, and almost everyone he has faced, Bryan has kept a higher floor than anyone else currently wrestling. This is his truest strength. He never misses, no matter how small the stage.
... brought out a side of Kenny Omega not seen since his New Japan days. Kenny was animalistic opposite Danielson at Grand Slam, throwing knees at Bryan's skull with concussive propulsiveness to leverage real-life knowledge of the former WWE man's concussion history into perfect pro wrestling drama. Never before in AEW had Omega looked so fierce - and it took a competitor like Bryan to draw it out of him.
... gave some of the best wrestlers in the world their finest matches of 2021, including Roman Reigns, Edge, Omega, Minoru Suzuki, Eddie Kingston, and more.
... expertly dialled up some of his character's more unpleasant traits without turning full-on heel opposite 'Hangman' Adam Page. The two-year journey fans have been on with Page necessitated him having full support heading into Winter Is Coming. Cognizant of this, Danielson tapped into his inner bastard without overcooking a thing, working the audience with every new beat. And if he wants to, he can shake hands with Page and go back to being less of a pr*ck post-WIC without it feeling in the least bit unnatural. That's a worker.
And that's WhatCulture's Wrestler of the Year 2021.