Best In Pro Wrestling In 2021 (Part 2)
Who was the wrestler of the year?
In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we name the rest of the best in pro wrestling in 2021. (Here’s Part 1)
What was the best wrestling event of 2021?
Chad Gelfand: AEW All Out
Steven Jackson: Final Battle. It wasn’t a spectacle like NJPW Wrestle Kingdom or AEW All Out, but it was a wonderful celebration of the company I’ve watched for nearly 20 years, and a show I’ll never forget.
John Corrigan: 25th annual ECWA Super 8. From Crowbar being announced as Ricky Morton’s replacement, to Mr. Ooh La La finally winning the ECWA Championship, to an outstanding tournament with several breathtaking bouts, this show had everything.
Jack Goodwillie: NXT Takeover 36. One reason I have such affinity for the NXT Takeover formula is how it prioritizes quality over quantity – not that AEW doesn’t, but this show was on another level. It contained two match-of-the-year candidates, one right after the other, as well as Samoa Joe’s return to the ring. It also featured the return of the Million Dollar Championship (and the Million Dollar Man) and Raquel Gonzalez, who I have done a complete 180 on this year (in a good way). As Taz might say, it was one rocket-buster of a night!
What was the best moment/angle of 2021?
Gelfand: Bianca Belair winning SmackDown Women’s Title in main event of WrestleMania.
Jackson: CM Punk’s return to wrestling. The entrance alone made it one of the greatest pop-culture moments of all-time. The moment of the year and probably (already) the moment of the decade.
Corrigan: Clobberin’ Time! CM Punk making his long-awaited return was special. It’s one of those crossover moments where you’ll always remember where you were when it happened.
Goodwillie: Macro: CM Punk’s return to wrestling, bar none. I don’t need to elaborate. Micro: Mr. Ooh La La defeating Joey Ace to become the ECWA Heavyweight Champion. For some *cough* JOHN *cough*, it’s the feel-good moment of the year. For me, it’s what pro wrestling is all about. No matter how long it takes, if you can visualize what you want, with the right amount of hard work it will manifest, and this was a great angle for independent wrestling.
What was the best match of 2021?
Gelfand: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks – WrestleMania 37
Jackson: Jonathan Gresham vs. Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship. Yes, this is fanboy Steven again being an ROH fanboy. Seeing these two men in the main event of possibly the last ROH show, showcasing how great wrestling can be, was wonderful. The match told a beautiful story and concluded with Gresham finally winning the ROH World Title!
Corrigan: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks. They had the best women’s match in WrestleMania history and one of the best main events, too. It was such a fresh environment with their visible emotion, innovative moves and the excitement of the crowd. Banks once again delivered on the big stage, and Belair became a star. I’ve seen so much wrestling this year that most of it blurs together, but I remember popping for Belair catching Banks outside the ring and military pressing her up the steps. And who could forget Belair whipping Banks with her never-ending ponytail?
Goodwillie: Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER II. This type of match isn’t usually my thing, but there’s just something about when both Dragunov and WALTER come together…it’s a helluva pairing. And this match topped the first, mostly because Dragunov ended up getting his moment. It took me some time to come around on WALTER, but there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Should he ever find his way to the main roster (which is now in the realm of possibility, by the way), he can be a game changer for WWE, giving a Roman Reigns-like presence on the opposite brand or even an adversary for Reigns. I’m every bit as high on Dragunov as well. The big thing now for both guys is to get as many eyeballs on them as possible, because if they can, the sky’s the limit, especially if we get the trilogy match across the pond.
Who was the best wrestler of 2021?
Gelfand: Bianca Belair
Jackson: Jonathan Gresham. Again, call me a fanboy, but nobody has come close to Jonathan Gresham in terms of match quality, versatility and selflessness in the ring. Gresham’s 2021 ended with the main event of Final Battle, and along the way, his matches in ROH, GCW, NJPW and the indies never failed to remind me why I love professional wrestling.
Corrigan: Bryan Danielson. Has this been “The American Dragon’s” best year ever? He spent the first half of the year tearing it up with Roman Reigns and headlining WrestleMania. After a well-deserved break in the summer, he joined AEW and has been stealing the show every night. I loved his war with Eddie Kingston, and the 60-minute draw with Hangman was awesome. Embracing his old heel persona, Danielson has rediscovered his passion for pro wrestling, and it’s exciting to watch.
Goodwillie: Roman Reigns. Say what you want about WWE (and I have), but its efforts toward having the product revolve around Roman Reigns are working. The guy went untouched as the Universal Champion for the entirety of the year, he DID have a few standout matches along the way and everything he did met the standard set by others who have worn his shoes in the past.
WWE needs to do a better job of booking his challengers more as credible threats, because predicting Reigns to hold the belt for all of 2021 would have been no different than, say, picking Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open this year. He’s the best, sure, but who else is there? That’s no fault of Reigns. If you stuck him in AEW, even with its loaded roster, he would still be the logical and obvious choice to carry the company, and for that reason, he’s my wrestler of the year…again.
About Author
