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AEW has been on a helluva roll with their pay-per-views over the past three years of their existence. With four major shows a year, it allows the company to have a steady build-up to their high-profile matchups at these events.
All Elite Wrestling wanted to elevate their game with everything in 2021 and did just that.
The promotion achieved the four biggest pay-per-view buyrates in their history. They featured huge main events, dream matches, and championships on the line across these spectacles.
AEW has provided some of the most memorable matches and moments in wrestling for the year.
With the calendar changing from 2021 to 2022, it is an excellent time to reflect on the past four major shows offered by All Elite Wrestling.
The quality produced by the promotion makes it difficult to rank one show over another. In this article, let's rank and grade every AEW pay-per-view in 2021.
#4 AEW Revolution 2021
AEW Revolution 2021 had plenty of hype and buzz heading in. The headline contest had the wrestling world talking. Kenny Omega defended the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match. This marked the first time this stipulation would be presented on a mainstream platform.
The match, bell-to-bell, was great with the two men delivering back and forth action and strong storytelling using barbed wire explosions to excite the crowd. However, no one remembers what Moxley and Omega could accomplish during this bout because of the finish. The countdown kicked off to signal that the ring would explode with the Elite beating down Mox.
Eddie Kingston shocked everyone by turning face and coming down to save Mox. When Kingston couldn't pull his body out, he laid across Jon Moxley, but the explosions never went off and were only sparklers.
This was the most disappointing ending to an AEW pay-per-view ever. The crowd booed the finish, and it was panned universally by fans.
Unfortunately, this is the lasting memory from this show and why it ranks lowest. Revolution 2021 shouldn't only be remembered for this main event. Sting made his AEW in-ring debut in a cinematic tag team street fight with Darby Allin against Team Taz's Brian Cage and Ricky Starks. It was a cool spectacle that highlighted the elements of the legend's character and his new relationship with Allin.
The show also featured The Young Bucks retaining the AEW World Tag Team Titles against MJF and Chris Jericho in a brilliant opener, while Rey Fenix won the Casino Tag Team Royale for himself and PAC to earn a shot.
Scorpio Sky won the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match, and Hikaru Shida defeated Ryo Mizunami to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.
#3 AEW Double Or Nothing 2021
Despite the gradual inclusion of live fans at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, the company didn't have a full capacity crowd until AEW Double Or Nothing 2021. All Elite Wrestling assembled an exceptional lineup of their top stars and featured some stellar in-ring action.
The main event saw The Inner Circle beat The Pinnacle in the second Stadium Stampede Match. This wasn't quite as good as the first edition, but it was an entertaining main event. The AEW World Championship was defended in a three-way with Kenny Omega defeating PAC and Orange Cassidy in a fantastic match.
The Young Bucks stole the show with their amazing tag team clash against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. It was awesome to see the fans respond to Kingston and sing "Wild Thing" for Mox. The show opened with Hangman Page defeating Brian Cage in a banger.
Fans witnessed Jungle Boy winning the Casino Battle Royale, Sting and Darby Allin beating The Men of the Year in a fun tag team showdown, and the coronation of Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. as the AEW Women's World Champion.
Overall, this was an exciting night to have fans return live to an All Elite Wrestling major event.
#2 AEW Full Gear 2021
From top-to-bottom, there may not have been a complete professional wrestling card quite like AEW Full Gear 2021. The lineup had everything fans could want to see.
It opened with an outstanding encounter between two of the four pillars of the company in MJF and Darby Allin. The Lucha Brothers followed with a victory over FTR to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Bryan Danielson defeated Miro to win the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament next. Christian Cage and Jurassic Express beat The SuperKliq in an incredible six-man Falls Count Anywhere Match, completing their best four-match start to a major show for the promotion.
CM Punk put on a blistering fight against Eddie Kingston. There was blood, drama and hate that thrilled the Minneapolis crowd in attendance. The Inner Circle defeated American Top Team in a Minneapolis Street Fight, while Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., beat Tay Conti to retain the AEW Women's World Title.
This night will be remembered for the main event though. Hangman Adam Page completed his near-three-year story arc by defeating Kenny Omega to win the AEW World Championship.
It was a superb match that might go down as the greatest main event in the company's history. All of this shows that AEW Full Gear 2021 was one of the best major shows of the year.
#1 AEW All Out 2021
AEW All Out 2021 had high expectations from many fans and pundits coming into the show. After seven years away from the business, CM Punk returned to professional wrestling at AEW Rampage: The First Dance to officially debut in All Elite Wrestling.
He challenged Darby Allin to a dream match in his hometown of Chicago and was the No.1 draw for the evening.
Punk defeated Allin in a very good contest that showed he was here to stay, but this bout wasn't the only thing that had the fans buzzing heading in. Rumors were rampant about the possibility of major debuts on the show.
Adam Cole debuted and reunited with The Elite after a great main event where Kenny Omega defeated Christian Cage to retain the AEW World Title. The Chicago crowd were on their feet and just coming down from this high when Bryan Danielson debuted as well. It was one of the most shocking endings to a pay-per-view in wrestling history.
Those two arrivals at the end weren't the only ones on the night. Ruby Soho made her debut in the Women's Casino Battle Royale and won by last eliminating Thunder Rosa to earn a shot at the AEW Women's World Championship.
The same title was defended earlier in the show in a marvelous contest with Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. retaining over Kris Statlander.
Miro opened AEW All Out 2021, defeating Eddie Kingston to retain the TNT Championship. It was a heavyweight slugfest and what the fans expected from both men.
Jon Moxley beat NJPW's Satoshi Kojima, but what happened after the match stood out the most. "The King" Minoru Suzuki arrived to confront Moxley and deliver a package piledriver.
All of this would be enough to be the best AEW pay-per-view of 2021, but it also had an all-time classic. The Lucha Brothers defeated the Young Bucks in a bloody and captivating Steel Cage Match to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
This was one of the best matches in the history of the promotion. That's why All Out 2021 was the best major show of the year from AEW.
