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AEW has become synonymous with excellent professional wrestling, but the company has provided fans with so much more than that.
The stars of the promotion have produced stellar in-ring action and promos over the course of the past 12 months. Some of these competitors have become the best characters or gimmicks in the industry.
2021 saw many men and women in All Elite Wrestling evolve into even more diverse personas. MJF added to his already superb heel schtick by masterminding his betrayal of the Inner Circle and forming the Pinnacle, while Darby Allin earned even more fans with his relationship with Sting. Rising stars like Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara and Dante Martin all stepped up and progressed their careers.
With all these awesome characters developing over the past year, the end of 2021 is a perfect time to look back on how all these gimmicks entertained consistently. From quality promos and angles, these are the personalities that shined brightest. Let's take a look at the five best AEW gimmicks of 2021.
5) Former AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks - Sneaker and fashion douchebags
The Young Bucks reigned as the AEW World Tag Team Champions for much of 2021, but their run went into high gear following the April 7th episode of Dynamite.
On the show, Matt and Nick Jackson turned heel on Jon Moxley and reunited with their former Bullet Club stablemates in AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
The following week, the Young Bucks debuted a new look. There were no more streamers and bright colors, but they wore expensive sneakers and gear that made them doubly as obnoxious as many fans thought was possible. Along the way, Matt and Nick added mannerisms and trash talk that made them even more detestible.
The Young Bucks were more than capable of retaining the AEW World Tag Team Titles on their own. However, they used the help of Don Callis, Brandon Cutler or any other Elite member to get the job done. The creators of Being The Elite know how good they are, yet are willingly taking the easy way out.
The sneakers, attire and facial hair elements of this act can't be understated. The Young Bucks brag about how much they pay for their sneakers, which infuriates the fans. They also wear lavish gear that is ridiculous yet heat-inducing.
Over a period of a few months, the Young Bucks and other Elite stablemates were changing their facial hair weekly, becoming one of the biggest takeaways of AEW.
The Young Bucks have evolved into ridiculously over-the-top characters, becoming the television hit that many critics thought they could never become. They've even retained the heat after key losses to Lucha Bros., Christian Cage and Jurassic Express.
2021 will be remembered as the best character evolution yet for Matt and Nick Jackson.
4) Eddie Kingston - The everyman of AEW
Eddie Kingston came into AEW and took the wrestling world by storm. Despite a storied near-two-decade run on the independent wrestling scene, the Mad King was a relative unknown when he showed up to accept Cody Rhodes's TNT Championship open challenge. From the minute he opened his mouth, Kingston had been earning fans ever since.
2021 marked a babyface turn for Kingston at the perfect time. His saving of Jon Moxley following the Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match at AEW Revolution 2021 was the lone bright spot for the botched ending. His partnership with Moxley became one of the most popular in the promotion. On his own, Kingston has had riveting feuds with PAC, Miro and CM Punk this year.
Eddie Kingston is the everyman of All Elite Wrestling. He is widely considered the most authentic and relatable professional wrestler on the planet today, from his gritty promos to his intensity in the ring. There has been nothing quite as organic as the AEW fanbase embracing and rallying behind Kingston in 2021.
3) Current AEW Women's World Champion Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. - The Role Model
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., made a claim for best gimmick last year with her heel turn being a revelation to AEW fans. The real-life dentist used all the cheesy characterizations of her cookie cutter babyface act and turned it on its head by becoming a self-absorbed narcissist who believes she's a role model.
If 2020 saw the introduction of this new gimmick for Baker, then 2021 was the year where she reveled in it. Her promo work has become some of the best in promotion and her improvement in the ring has been remarkable. Britt's feud with Thunder Rosa is among the year's best, with their Lights Out Match being a Match of the Year candidate and elevating the AEW women's division.
Britt Baker's coronation at Double Or Nothing 2021 as AEW Women's World Champion felt earned in the best way possible. She hasn't stopped since then with defenses against Kris Statlander, Nyla Rose, Tay Conti and Red Velvet. The latter took place in Britt's hometown of Pittsburgh in the main event of the first AEW Rampage. Without a doubt, Baker has been incredible this year.
2) Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega - The belt collector
Kenny Omega's run in AEW had been much maligned heading into 2021. Fans of the Cleaner from his time in NJPW felt they weren't getting the same Omega, while new fans didn't know the big deal after key losses in the early days of All Elite Wrestling to Chris Jericho, PAC and Jon Moxley. However, 2020 changed the course for the Best Bout Machine.
He started off the year winning the AEW World Tag Team Titles with Hangman Page. After losing the gold and beating his partner to become number one contender, Omega defeated Jon Moxley to end 2020 as AEW World Champion thanks in large part to Don Callis. This proved to be the start for this "Belt Collector".
Omega arrived in IMPACT Wrestling and said that he wanted to become a belt collector by claiming the IMPACT World Championship to go along with the AEW World Title and his AAA Mega Championship. At Rebellion 2021, he did just that by beating Rich Swann to win the title. This became a portrait of the year when Kenny Omega became a huge television star.
The Cleaner was on top of AEW during the most successful period in the company's history with the four largest pay-per-view buy-rates and record-setting television ratings. He also helped IMPACT Wrestling get their biggest buy-rates in years and increased television viewership there. The Belt Collector was the latest moniker that Kenny Omega took to greater heights than many imagined.
1) Former AEW TNT Champion Miro - God's Favorite Champion/Redeemer
With the phenomenal year that Kenny Omega had, it would be tough to imagine another AEW gimmick outdoing the Belt Collector. But Miro did just that with a character invention that has been one of the most consistently entertaining of any this year.
After suffering his first loss in a tag team contest that he wasn't pinned in, Miro beat down his former friend Kip Sabian and ventured to be on his own.
He defeated Darby Allin to win the AEW TNT Championship and immediately started transforming before our eyes. There were no more video games or playing around for Miro. He was on a mission.
The former Rusev cut a series of promos with a new TNT Championship, donning the Bulgarian flag colors and claiming to be God's Favorite Champion. These vignette-style promos became a highlight of every AEW Dynamite episode, while Miro's destruction of up-and-coming babyfaces like Brian Pillman Jr., Lee Johnson and Fuego Del Sol was a blast to watch.
Miro would often cut his promos speaking to his God and wanting to thank him for his flexible wife. His diatribes evolved from calling himself just God's Favorite Champion to the Redeemer, which led to some hilarious banter with Eddie Kingston. Whether against the Mad King or Lance Archer, Miro was a beast in the ring and on the mic.
2021 might be remembered as the best year of Miro's career. His AEW run started slow, but this year proved why so many felt he was under-utilized in WWE. His 140-day TNT Championship reign will be regarded as one of the best in AEW this year and his fantastic promo work makes him one to watch in 2022 as well. That's why Miro's God's Favorite Champion gimmick was the best in AEW of 2021.
What is your favorite gimmick in All Elite Wrestling right now? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
