The BEST Wrestling Moment Every Year (1989 - 2026)
6. 2021 | You Don’t Need A Hat To Be A Cowboy
This was AEW in 2021, and thus one of the most difficult decisions faced here.
CM Punk’s return, the viral marketing campaign launched ahead of it, the 1% of doubt twinned with the 99% percent of unparalleled anticipation: it was the most exciting possible thing made, somehow, all the more exciting. It was Tony Khan’s best moment as a promoter, as opposed to a booker, but it hasn’t aged well, to say the least. What was meant to be a game-changer almost turned into a promotion killer.
The climactic scene of All Out 2021 also feels a bit bittersweet. Thought to be the beginning of AEW’s march towards the #1 spot, it was actually the promotion’s peak. It was a surreal, jaw-dropping super-serving of incident and promise - but did AEW really deliver upon it? Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, the double debutantes, never actually wrestled one another in singles action, which underscored Tony Khan’s old flaw. He has since corrected it, but once upon a time, he was too stingy. What good was assembling such a dream roster if it barely interacted with itself? So many great matches simply never happened.
The Dark Order’s entrance at Fight For The Fallen was the stuff. An immortal moment that was special at the time, it was simply too moving to be corny.
Hangman Page, standing side-by-side with a real support network, in matching attire at long last; the beautiful “You don’t need a hat to be a cowboy” messaging that reminded AEW fans that if you believe in yourself, you can do things on your own terms; the spotlight illuminating Brodie Lee, who while absent will never be forgotten: AEW isn’t just Where The Best Wrestle. It’s where the beauty happens.