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2021 was unquestionably a successful year for AEW. The company has gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months.
From record-breaking pay-per-view buyrates to high-quality television on Dynamite every week, All Elite Wrestling stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of in-ring output and storytelling.
With the latter, AEW offered superb feuds that helped elevate their stars and championships. The company has crafted some intense rivalries based on personal issues, moving up the ranks and championship gold throughout 2021.
With the year now in the books, it is the perfect time to remember all the incredible feuds that the promotion has delivered. Because there were so many amazing rivalries, a few might have slipped some fans' memories. In this listicle, let's look at the five underrated AEW feuds in 2021.
#5 Sting & former AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin vs. Team Taz
Sting made his AEW debut at the end of 2020 on Winter Is Coming, making a save for Darby Allin against Team Taz. The animosity between the two sides would only further develop and heat up as the months went on. Darby Allin retained the TNT Championship over Brian Cage on the New Year's Smash special of Dynamite, which drew the ire of Taz.
Cage and Ricky Starks of Team Taz challenged Sting and Darby Allin to a tag team showdown at Revolution 2021. However, this wouldn't be a typical contest. The two tag teams would battle in a Street Fight.
This marked Sting's wrestling debut for the company and his first match in nearly six years. AEW took every precaution and decided to make this a cinematic matchup.
The Street Fight was a unique spectacle that had elements of Sting and Darby's characters sprinkled throughout. Allin performed a death-defying Coffin Drop onto Cage from the second story of the building they fought in to take him out.
The WCW Icon then put away Ricky Starks to give himself and Allin the win. The feud established the Sting and Darby relationship and spotlighted Team Taz well.
#4 Best Friends vs. Miro & Kip Sabian
Miro debuted in AEW as "The Best Man" to Kip Sabian ahead of his wedding to Penelope Ford. Both men didn't seem to find their footing together until they crossed paths with Orange Cassidy in the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal.
OC eliminated Miro, and then the Bulgarian cost Cassidy his match against MJF, leading to a feud.
This would prove to be a lengthy rivalry, which would hurt its overall impact for some fans. However, it did feature memorable moments, like when Orange Cassidy and Best Friends interrupted Kip and Penelope's wedding.
The feud ultimately ended with the Arcade Anarchy Match. It provided an incredible ending with Trent and Kris Statlander returning to help Best Friends beat Miro and Kip Sabian on Dynamite.
#3 Former AEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb
The AEW women's division saw improvement in 2021. Much maligned since the beginning of the company, the ladies were just never given the time to succeed for most of their first two years. The past 12 months has seen Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. take her spot at the mountaintop, Thunder Rosa continue to shine, Jade Cargill dominate, and Ruby Soho arrive to cause a riot.
When thinking about great rivalries from the women, Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb has to spring to mind. The two stars met on the second anniversary of AEW Dynamite, with Shida looking to earn her 50th win in the company. Deeb beat Shida and nailed her with the 50th win trophy.
The two women were then locked up in the TBS Women's Championship Tournament. They delivered an even better matchup that had fans on the edge of their seats. Shida got her win back, but Serena jumped her after to attack her knee. That caused the Japanese star to lose to Nyla Rose in the following round. Shida beat Deeb on the Winter Is Coming special, but their feud isn't over just yet.
#2 PAC vs. Andrade El Idolo
Andrade El Idolo debuted for AEW on the Dynamite following Double Or Nothing 2021. After months of frustration, the former WWE United States Champion asked for and was granted his release from the company. Many thought that his arrival in All Elite Wrestling would finally show his full potential. However, it didn't start this way.
Eventually, Andrade would cross paths with PAC, and his fortune in the company changed. Both men faced for the first time on the September 10th AEW Rampage, with Andrade winning thanks to an assist from Chavo Guerrero. This caused PAC to dispute the legitimacy of this win. As a result, Andrade challenged him to a rematch on the October 22nd AEW Rampage.
This bout proved to be a fantastic encounter that had both men displaying their abilities superbly. Andrade El Idolo shined in his best match since leaving WWE, while PAC effortlessly flew through the air and delivered crisp offense throughout. Following the contest, the feud splintered off into a tag team rivalry with Cody Rhodes and Malakai Black.
PAC and Cody defeated Andrade and Black in a tag team match at AEW Full Gear 2021. For two marvelous bouts that have to be among the best on Rampage and another quality tag team contest, PAC vs. Andrade El Idolo should be a feud that the company runs back in the near future.
#1 Former AEW TNT Champion Miro vs. Eddie Kingston
Eddie Kingston broke out in a major way last year, debuting for AEW and headlining their final pay-per-view of 2020. The Mad King turned babyface by saving Jon Moxley at Revolution 2021 and has since become the everyman of All Elite Wrestling. He is the hero that the fans rally behind and want to see succeed.
Not only did Kingston shine as a babyface, but he has also displayed a unique skill that not many performers have. Eddie Kingston knows how to make the most of his time on-screen to get over whatever he is doing. Eddie is a phenomenal talker and a gritty brawler that elevates every feud he is in.
Miro became a revelation as the TNT Champion this year. His God's Favorite Champion persona showed newfound confidence in his promos that were never there before. He quickly became the best character in AEW. Around this time, Eddie Kingston started to set his sights on The Redeemer's gold.
Their promo segments in the buildup to All Out 2021 were riveting and had the fans invested. Kingston's response to Miro calling himself The Redeemer with "Redeem These Nuts" was one of the best comebacks of 2021 and created a nice shirt for the Mad King.
The two men produced a compelling opener to All Out 2021. It was every bit the heavyweight slugfest that fans expected. Kingston came very close to winning until Miro scored with a low blow out of the referee's sight and followed with the Machaka Kick to retain the TNT Championship.
Miro and Eddie Kingston delivered a quality program that accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Eddie earned more fans with his outstanding promo work, humor, and in-ring performance. Meanwhile, Miro added to his spectacular run as TNT Champion and garnered more heat for robbing Kingston. That's why they had the most underrated AEW feud in 2021.
