14 Ups & 5 Downs For AEW In 2021

11. Kenny Omega Proves The Critics Wrong

Kenny Omega
AEW

Kenny Omega deliberately positioned himself underneath the main event in 2019.

Chris Jericho was the man to legitimise AEW as an alternative. He was the bridge. When Omega assumed his spot a year later, he evolved into the TV star he could have been on day one.

He blended comedy and main event gravitas brilliantly this year. In doing so, he both showcased his immense range and preserved the highest stakes for the most important occasion. An overload of serious intensity converges to create parody. Omega grasped this, allowing his classic rivalry with Hangman Page to feel like the most momentous development of the year, by playing a '50s schoolyard tough opposite Jungle Boy in a fun TV programme and layering his programme with Christian Cage with an absurd comedy wrinkle. By the time Hangman Page rode into town to put an end to Omega's campaign of hubris, it felt like a true reckoning.

With no shoulders, vertigo and an assortment of other injuries, Omega still worked to an exceptional standard, defeating (and elevating) Fénix, Jungle Boy and Dante Martin in fantastic matches. He flattered his opponents without detracting from his own headliner aura; again, when Page finally dethroned him, it scanned as the biggest storyline achievement in company history.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!