14 Ups & 5 Downs For AEW In 2021

2. AEW: The Destination For Major Free Agents

2766 Days CM Punk AEW Rampage
AEW

There's no point, and there's no time, going show-by-show to analyse AEW's 2021. There's too much of it. AEW contrives to deliver a classic match or an iconic moment most weeks. Merely above average is a disappointment.

That's the biggest 'Up'.

The best AEW shows are intoxicating experiences that make real every dumb pipe dream you had, in say 2009, of actual major arena competition. Of course All Out is an 'Up'. Of course Full Gear is an 'Up'. AEW did something far more important in 2021 than deliver exceptional pay-per-view shows that paid off the captivating episodic intrigue of Dynamite and Rampage.

In 2021, AEW reinvented itself.

In its early history, the promotion recruited broken WWE acts and repaired their reputations, getting Jon Moxley, Brodie Lee, and PAC over as the best versions of themselves. They did such a tremendous job, in fact, that the few wrestlers that got over to a top spot in WWE decided to jump ship even if their outlook was far more promising.

Bryan Danielson didn't join AEW because the WrestleMania main event eluded him. He worked the WrestleMania main event this year, felt nothing, and joined the world's best wrestling company because he knew it was the only place in which to once more become the world's best wrestler. Reports vary on Adam Cole, NXT's only needle-mover on USA, but he turned down an outrageous sum of money to join AEW as wrestling's other hottest free agent.

AEW was so outstanding even during a pandemic that Tony Khan convinced CM Punk to return to the industry on the back of a wonderfully manipulative viral marketing campaign.

AEW ruled in 2021. Even the people who hated wrestling fell back in love with it.

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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!