5 Things AEW MUST Do In 2021 (And 5 They Must Avoid)

2. Give MJF The Keys

Professional wrestling is a star-driven business. The sport cannot return to the mainstream without building characters and personalities that people outside the bubble will change the channel to watch, and there is a dearth of those at the moment.

Star creation is often a long, slow-burning process, though AEW has made a good start with people like Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, and, indeed, MJF. Deftly using more established names in Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho to build these performers up will keep the promotion rolling long after the veterans have retired and after doing such a fine job with them in 2020, 2021 is the year they should send at least one stratospheric.

MJF is the shout, here. He has perfected his heel act, cuts great promos weekly, and has demonstrated through high-profile matches with Rhodes and Jungle Boy that his in-ring is quickly catching up with the rest of the act. Furthermore, his current role as a gloriously insincere Inner Circle member sets him up for the perfect trigger-pulling moment, turning on Jericho to leave AEW's signature faction in ruins, hopping closer to megastardom in the process.

A run with the AEW World Title wouldn't be the worst idea either, perhaps taking it from Hangman Page after the former Elite man ends Kenny Omega's reign.