10 Best Wrestlers Of 2021

9. Hangman Page

Hangman Page
AEW

Adam Page doesn't have the mountain of great 2021 matches that some wrestlers on this list possess. At Double Or Nothing, the future AEW World Champion and Brian Cage were tasked with opening AEW's first fully-attended main pay-per-view card in over a year, doing so with an adrenaline-pumping banger, while Page and Kenny Omega's Full Gear main event was extremely well-received and successfully paid-off one of the best multi-year character arcs ever. Beyond these, Page has a handful of great multi-man bouts and tight television matches with the likes of Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks to his name.

But what Page lacks in obvious Match of the Year candidates, he more than makes up for in the other aspects of his performances.

The aforementioned character arc was sublime. The 'Anxious Millennial Cowboy' wasn't shtick for Page, who did what all the best wrestling personalities do and brought a real, authentic version of his true self to television. For his portrayal of anxiety, depression, and other afflictions, and the way he navigated them to eventually become World Champion, he has become one of the easiest wrestlers in the world to root for - and Full Gear was a finale befitting the excellent journey leading to it.

With the best story in modern American wrestling still ongoing, Page faces new challenges as AEW World Champion. Time will tell if he is a success in this role. For now, delivering performances on par with his outstanding writing earns Page this spot following his year of triumph and tragedy.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.