All Elite Wrestling Became A Legit Alternative, Created Heartwarming Moments In 2021

All Elite Wrestling saved my love of wrestling in 2021.

At the beginning of 2021, I didn’t think my passion for the wonderfully wacky world of wrestling was in jeopardy, and maybe it wasn’t. But week after week after week of watching WWE’s often repetitive and frustrating brand of sports entertainment certainly chipped away at it. Multiple depressing rounds of mass releases, on top of several stunning individual cuts, definitely did more damage. Watching the company intentionally erase the black-and-gold era of NXT, which had been my favorite wrestling show on TV, was also heartbreaking.

But thankfully, I found a saving grace, and its name is AEW. No, I wasn’t a diehard fan of the company from the start. In the past, I was somewhat skeptical of its ability to succeed as a big-time promotion; TNA’s downfall served as a reminder that even the most buzzworthy new kid in town can crash and burn. Likewise, my fervent fandom didn’t happen overnight.

Instead, it was a gradual process that began at AEW Blood and Guts, a night when some of the company’s best and brightest stars brutaly waged war in an unmatched display of “elite” violence. This show opened my eyes to how AEW was truly the alternative to WWE and encouraged me to start watching it more closely. From there, as with any love story, a few moments stand above the rest as the true reasons why AEW stole my heart in 2021.

There were a few other examples along the way, but CM Punk’s return to professional wrestling is certainly at the top of the list. The world didn’t get to see “The Second City Saint” in a wrestling ring in primetime for seven long years, but when he finally came back, boy, it was an all-time highlight that wrestling fans won’t forget anytime soon. Just listen to this deafening pop:

CM Punk’s return pop is legitimately one of the biggest any of us will ever hear. #AEWRampage pic.twitter.com/OKhs1OVuBk

— Alex McCarthy (@AlexMcCarthy88) August 21, 2021

The famous “Crying CM Punk Fan” perfectly represented how meaningful this moment was. (I’m not ashamed to say that I also shed some tears of joy when Punk made his emotional return that special night in Chicago.) The fans had their hero back, and from the start, the former WWE Champion has fit perfectly in AEW, as he embodies the company’s rebel spirit.

Plus, it’s fair to say that, more than AEW’s other major free-agent additions throughout 2021, the acquisition of Punk proved that the company had truly arrived as a legitimate competitor to WWE. Tony Khan’s promotion brought CM Punk back, and as someone who loved him spanning back to his electric storyline with John Cena heading into WWE Money in the Bank 2011, I can’t thank AEW enough for that. Watching him perform again has been an absolute treat each and every time he’s on the screen.

Punk is the leading example, but behind him, it has warmed my heart to see several of my favorite wrestlers thrive in AEW. As previously mentioned, Blood & Guts was one of the first major steps in my journey as a passionate AEW fan, but the early summer stretch produced two more moments that delighted me. On June 4, Andrade El Idolo joined the company, and when he walked onto the stage, I joyfully yelled aloud. The former NXT Champion was roughly two months removed from his requested release from WWE, and his departure concluded the former RAW star’s disappointing run on the main roster.

Despite some success here and there, it was clear that WWE didn’t know what to do with Andrade, a bright star who always had “top-level talent” written all over him. His WWE bouts were almost always exemplary and, vague as it may be, he simply had “it.” Time and again, I always wanted to see WWE do better by him, and they failed to do so. He vanished from TV last October, and WWE subsequently released his excellent manager, Zelina Vega; in doing so, they let this magical combination slip through their fingers. Andrade then spent the next few months on the sidelines, so it was evident that creative didn’t have anything for him.

*Deep breath.* These frustrations paved the way for his move to AEW, and as soon as he debuted, I couldn’t wait to see him get the chance to flourish the way he deserved. That’s exactly what he has done. It has been a somewhat slow-going ride here and there, but Andrade El Idolo has put on some fantastic matches during his fairly brief AEW run-up to his point. His bouts with PAC were certified bangers, and he even pinned “The American Nightmare” himself, Cody Rhodes in a high-profile match that displayed the company’s faith in El Idolo.

Practically everything I just explained also applies to another personal favorite of mine, Malakai Black. I was crushed when WWE released him in June because, as with Andrade, I always believed he could be a true main-eventer. But again, the company squandered his potential; they didn’t “get” his creativity or his passion as an artist. Paul Heyman briefly helped Aleister Black thrive on WWE RAW in 2020, but upon Heyman’s removal from power, the company swept Black’s push under the rug.

Like Andrade, Black later disappeared from TV because the company didn’t know what to do with him. He had a brief comeback in April and May before the company surprisingly cut him in June. So when Black joined Andrade in AEW on the July 7 episode of Dynamite, I couldn’t be happier.

HOLY S**T … Malakai Black ( @TommyEnd) has arrived in @AEW!

Tune into #AEWDynamite NOW on @tntdrama pic.twitter.com/CgU959OPkI

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 8, 2021

I felt in my bones that AEW would give him the freedom to, as CM Punk has said, paint his picture, and they have. Black’s promos have been remarkable, and they reflect his unmatched grasp of storytelling in wrestling. (Listen to any of his interviews since he left WWE, and you’ll be blown away by the extensive way this man thinks — there’s a reason for absolutely everything he does.) It’s fair to assume that his AEW run will continue to captivate us, as he keeps teasing his plans for the House of Black. I’ll happily be along for the ride, and I wait to see both Black and Andrade become the “box office attractions” Tony Khan himself said they can be.

I could go on and on, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t call attention to the joy of seeing other favorites, such as Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, thrive in AEW. Their overlapping debuts at AEW All Out will go down as one of my all-time favorite moments; they both made me jump to my feet and pump my fist. Danielson’s run in AEW, with amazing matches against the likes of Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, has been absolutely phenomenal so far, as he’s doing the best work of his career at the age of 40.

Likewise, Cole is an electric presence on AEW TV, with a top-notch theme song that adds to his stardom. In the aftermath of WWE’s failures with Aleister Black and Andrade, along with many others, you just knew that the company would mishandle Cole if he ever moved to the main roster. So when the news of his contract expiration first broke, I instantly hoped would join AEW so he could benefit like other renowned stars have.

And he has; he’s now in the thick of a fascinating storyline in which the reunited Undisputed Era — a phrase that continues to put a smile on my face —is seemingly destined to clash with The Young Bucks over Cole’s allegiance. On top of an eventual dream match with Omega, Cole is set up for great success in AEW.

All in all, these are some of the reasons why, as we enter the new year, I love AEW. It delivered CM Punk’s return to wrestling, offered misused stars the chance to show the world exactly what they can do, and produced countless memories that will stick with me in 2022 and beyond. AEW Dynamite has become my favorite TV show, both in wrestling and in general; I eagerly look forward to it each and every week. The company is on such a wonderful roll right now, and I have every reason to believe that it will continue into the new year.