Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Martin Dickinson and Callum Wiggins predict what will go down for AEW in 2021.
2020 was a ground breaking year for AEW, however 2021 could be the year where they become a true rival to WWE. They have successfully dominated NXT, but the challenge of defeating the big boys is there for 2021. Which current AEW wrestler will defeat Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship? Who will be the breakout star for the company? And will AEW defeat WWE in the ratings on a more consistent basis?
Question 1: Which current AEW wrestler will defeat Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship? Will Omega be able to successfully defend the title for all of 2021?
ALLSOPP: I would love to see a heel Kenny Omega defeat all challengers this year, but AEW would benefit from having a home grown star win the title. Whilst the true definition of home grown is hard to explain, I’d like to see Hangman Adam Page defeat his former tag team partner. Although Page was a name before he joined AEW, I feel he has truly grown into a star under the AEW banner, and his story with Omega writes itself. Omega is more than capable of keeping the title all year, but AEW would benefit in the long run by giving Page the chance to shine.
DICKINSON: In my opinion, Kenny Omega will hold the AEW World Championship for the whole year and go undefeated for all of 2021. It seems this Omega storyline will transcend all wrestling companies, with Omega certain to win other World Championships. By the end of the year, I can see Omega holding the AEW World Championship, the Impact Wrestling World Championship, the ROH World Championship, and the NWA World Championship simultaneously. Tony Khan implied that this angle would change the wrestling world forever, so I can see the story ending with Kenny Omega facing Kota Ibushi for both the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the AEW World Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 2022, with Ibushi winning.
WIGGINS: I firmly believe that the person to defeat Kenny Omega for the AEW Championship eventually should be Hangman Adam Page – and he should do it as the "leader" of the Dark Order. This can be the culmination of an ongoing narrative between The Elite and The Dark Order, who should be treated as fully-fledged babyfaces in the wake of Brodie Lee's tragic passing, and Page's triumph can subsequently mean as much to them as a group as it does to him personally.
Will it happen in 2021? I wouldn't be against Omega holding the title for over a year if you can provide him with enough worthy and believable challengers throughout the year – a rematch with Jon Moxley, a feud with Pac, a few fun one-offs with the likes of Jungle Boy, Darby Allin and maybe even The Young Bucks. All building towards that big blow-off where Page finally captures the top title.
Question 2: Which current AEW wrestler will be the breakout star of 2021?
DICKINSON: If he doesn’t already count as a breakout star, I’m going to go with Darby Allin. A long angle with Sting seems to be on the horizon, and in my opinion, this will cause Darby Allin to become a true main eventer in 2021. This should be a long term angle with the Icon, first as Sting’s student, then partner, then eventual enemy, culminating in a huge cinematic match to cement his path to the main event and eventual AEW World Championship.
WIGGINS: I think the Dark Order can, and should, have a big year in general, and two names from the group that stand out the most to me are John Silver and Anna Jay. I believe there is plenty of scope for both to be wearing championship gold by the end of 2021, as Silver has developed an ultimate babyface reputation amongst the AEW audience already.
Jay's rate of improvement in the ring meanwhile has been remarkable so far, and if she maintains her current trajectory, she'll soon be one of the most reliable hands and bankable stars in AEW's women's division.
ALLSOPP: I’m going for two wrestlers here. Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr have the skill to become as talented as the Hollywood Blondes were in WCW. Well, without the corporate bullshit that dogged the team. They have the look, and would definitely qualify as a home grown team should they be successful this year.
Question 3: Will Dynamite beat Raw in the television ratings on a consistent basis? How could AEW achieve this?
WIGGINS: Depends on what you mean by ratings. Do I think AEW will consistently attract more viewers than Raw by the end of 2021? Probably not. Don't get me wrong, Raw is an absolute dumpster fire, but it has a long tenure behind it which still counts for a lot, and it will take time for AEW to instill their audience with that brand loyalty.
However, I could better envision a scenario where they are consistently beating Raw in the 18-49 demographic, or the "money demo" as it is referred to. It is evident that WWE's prime audience skews older at present, and if AEW continues to compel a younger audience to tune in, it certainly isn't outside of the realms of possibility for them to stand atop Raw over this prime audience.
ALLSOPP: Yes. I am a huge fan of both companies, but I cannot ignore how fresh AEW is in comparison to a WWE product that is stagnant and boring. Outside of a few wrestlers such as Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre, there’s not much to look forward to, and this is reflected in the ratings. As AEW ratings steadily rise, WWE’s fall and become alarming. WWE will have the overall victory in 2021, but AEW will take victories more often than they have previously.
DICKINSON: I don’t think Dynamite will beat Raw in 2021, but I do think it will happen eventually. This opinion is based solely on how the Kenny Omega storyline will play out. If Omega does become a multi promotion World Champion, I think the buzz from all those promotions will push Dynamite's number to be better than they are now, and AEW will consistently get ratings over 1 million people in 2021, but unless the Raw numbers freefall again, I don’t see Dynamite beating Raw this year.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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