In an era where wrestling may have become accustomed to seeing a lot of championship matches, with monthly PPVs being the norm, AEW have had just eight AEW World Championship matches in the 2021 calendar year, with one title match toughly once every one and a half months. This has made the championship feel higher in importance, with it being hard for a wrestler to find themselves in a championship match.
The matches have mostly taken place on either a special episode of Dynamite or on a PPV event – and even in a different company, with Kenny Omega dominating most of the year as AEW World Champion, until being dethroned late in the year by ‘Hangman’ Adam Page.
8 Kenny Omega Vs Jon Moxley, Revolution, March 7th
If this title match were being judged on 99% of the contest, it may be higher up in the ranks. In what was Moxley’s rematch for the title after being screwed at Winter is Coming in 2020, he and Omega went to war in an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match. The match featured blood, torture, and explosions, with the entire ring on a timer, set to explode after thirty minutes.
Omega once again used interference to his advantage, defeating Moxley with the help of the Good Brothers, leaving his opponent in the ring. Eddie Kingston ran out to protect his former friend in what should’ve been a hugely emotional moment. And then, the ring didn’t explode, and instead gave off some minor sparklers and a bit of smoke. The explosion was a dud, leaving fans to boo the show off the air. This defined not just the match, but the entire show, taking away from the strong action put forth by Omega and Moxley prior.
7 Kenny Omega Vs Jungle Boy, Dynamite June 26th
After winning the Casino Battle Royal in a huge star-making moment, Jungle Boy earned a shot at the AEW World Championship. With both men’s track record of great matches, fans eagerly anticipated the contest, despite it being fairly predictable. Regardless, AEW tried to build up Jungle Boy as best as they could.
Whether it be due to that predictability, or the fact that the show took place on a Saturday Night instead of the usual Wednesday, the match didn’t have the heat that many expected. It was still a great match, especially as it went on with the pace quickening, with Omega and Jungle Boy being able to have a solid match in their sleep, but there was certainly something missing to this one, but that may just be due to the hugely high standards that both men have.
6 Kenny Omega Vs Rich Swann, Impact Rebellion, April 25th
In the aftermath of his title win, Omega and Don Callis ran to Impact Wrestling, breaking down the Forbidden Door, with Omega making his intentions clear of wanting to hold the Impact World Championship. Reigning champion, Rich Swann, was up for the challenge, with both World Titles on the line as they did battle at Impact’s Rebellion PPV.
Swann showed great heart in the match, with the importance of the bout felt all the way through. Omega would emerge victorious, cementing himself as the belt collector after a great match. With Omega’s Impact run underwhelming for some, this match split opinion, but it delivered for many who watched the event, with two top stars from different promotions going at it.
5 Kenny Omega Vs Christian Cage, All Out, September 5th
Fans were initially cold on this title match, but after the pair tore it up on Rampage in a match for the Impact World Title, they turned the audience, with anticipation built for their rematch. On a show which saw some huge moments earlier in the night, with the appearances of Minoru Suzuki and Ruby Soho, along with CM Punk’s first wrestling match in seven years, this had a lot to live up to.
The match delivered, feeling like a huge main event contest despite fans knowing the end result before the match even began. Omega and Cage did enough to get the fans invested regardless of predictability, which is testament to the quality and chemistry of both men. The aftermath of this main event, with the debuts of both Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole, will be remembered much more, but the match was still fantastic.
4 Kenny Omega Vs Rey Fenix, New Year’s Smash, January 6th
This marked Omega’s first defence of the World Championship, so the result was inevitable. That didn’t stop Omega and Fenix from putting on an absolute sleeper of a match, with athleticism and brutality through the roof, with a great mixture of styles, dangerous spots, and hard-hitting moves. The chemistry between the two men is unmatched.
The post-match shenanigans saw the debut in AEW of the Good Brothers, which was yet another key moment in the passing through of the Forbidden Door, as they became a huge part of Omega’s title reign going forwards.
3 Kenny Omega Vs Orange Cassidy Vs PAC, Double or Nothing, May 30th
On AEW’s historic return to having a full capacity crowd, the AEW World Title match delivered, exceeding all expectations. The fans were electric for Cassidy, who managed to convince fans at several points during the match that he was on the verge of winning, with some masterful near falls during the contest. PAC played his role perfectly too, with Omega putting on yet another strong performance.
This match felt like a real battle, with fans desperate for Cassidy to win. Despite many expecting ‘Hangman’ Adam Page to be the one to beat Omega eventually, getting fans to believe that Cassidy had a strong chance proves masterful storytelling inside the ring. It was a great match, up there with the best of the entire year in AEW.
2 Kenny Omega Vs ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Full Gear, November 13th
From purely an in-ring perspective, there may be other matches throughout the year that beat this one. However, the story leading up to this match, with the history between both men, and the epic, big-fight feeling to it, it was by far the most rewarding title match of the entire year.
Omega and Hangman went to battle, throwing out all their signature moves, with near falls and nods to their previous encounters. Having Hangman win in that moment was the best decision that could’ve been made, giving the fans and Hangman the rewards of a multi-year long story, with the post-match celebration being an all-time great moment.
1 ‘Hangman’ Adam Page Vs Bryan Danielson, Winter Is Coming, December 15th
It took just Hangman’s first title defense to best his match with Omega, with he and newly heel Bryan Danielson wrestling to a phenomenal sixty-minute time limit draw. With wrestling being so subjective, some will find the story and happy ending to Hangman’s title win much more enthralling and rewarding than a draw, but this match had so much more in terms of in-ring content.
While Hangman’s title win was the end of a great tale, this marked the beginning of a brand-new chapter for AEW and proved that the new champion is more than worthy of being in this top position with he and Danielson pushing each other to their limits.