Smark Out Moment

Welcome to part one of the twelfth annual SMARK OUT MOMENT AWARDS (aka the Smarkies)!

These awards focus not just on applauding the best things from the year, but also calling out the worst.

Starting things off is our look at this year in All Elite Wrestling. What were the best and worst parts of AEW 2021?

Make sure you let us know in the comments what your choices are for the best and the worst of each award in all of the divisions (Technical Skills, Writing, and Performers)!

Changes to this year compared to last year are the additions of Improvement and Newcomer awards to further even it out with the WWE list.

Without further ado, let's start reviewing this year in AEW!

[TECHNICAL SKILLS AWARDS]

ENTRANCE

Explanation: This award should take into account everything including pyro, lighting, music, what the wrestlers do during their entrances, and so on. Your choices can be a singular entrance in particular or someone's standard entrance that happens every time he/she comes to the ring.

[BEST]: The Elite (special entrances, plus Kenny Omega's regular elongated entrance)

- Dark Order, Jurassic Express, Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Young Bucks
- Inner Circle from Stadium Stampede (at least, in theory)

[WORST]: (TIE) Emi Sakura, Hardy Family Office

- Butcher and Blade, everyone on Dark, Matt Hardy, everyone like Shanna who I can't even remember
- Max Caster

CLOTHING / ATTIRE

Explanation: Who has the best and worst outfits, whether it's just what they wear during their entrance or if it's their normal ring gear?

[BEST]: Jade Cargill (3/3), Penta (Double or Nothing Joker outfit), Cody Rhodes (Double or Nothing)

- Red Velvet
- Tay Conti
- Young Bucks

[WORST]: JD Drake

- JD Drake
- Brock Anderson

SIGNATURE MANEUVER

Explanation: What is your favorite and least favorite regularly seen wrestling move was that had been featured multiple times as something on a wrestler's repertoire. Typically, these are finishers (such as the One-Winged Angel) but it could also be a signature setup (such as Orange Cassidy's shin kicks) or something along those lines.

[BEST]: One-Winged Angel

[WORST]: Judas Effect

SPOT / BOTCH

Explanation: What was the most entertaining spot and what was the biggest disaster of a botch that happened this year?

[BEST/COOLEST SPOT]: Ethan Page throws Darby Allin into the crowd (Double or Nothing)

- Cody splashes Shaq through 2 tables (3/3)
- Adam Page hits a Deadeye off the ladder

[WORST/BIGGEST BOTCH]: Finale for Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match

- Chris Jericho's fall from Blood and Guts

RECOGNITION

Explanation: Perception is everything, so which wrestler deserved more credit this year than they received and which wrestler was unworthy of all the praise he or she received?

[MOST UNDERRATED]: John Silver

- Julia Hart
- Penelope Ford
- Billy Gunn
- Brandon Cutler
- Brian Cage
- Griff Garrison
- Sammy Guevara
- Shawn Spears

[MOST OVERRATED]: Daniel Garcia

- Penta
- Pac
- Colt Cabana
- CM Punk
- Matt Hardy
- Dante Martin
- Daniel Garcia
- Darby Allin

IMPROVEMENT IN A WRESTLER

Explanation: Which wrestler improved their work and saw the biggest upgrade and who saw the biggest downgrade in terms of a regression of their performance, spot on the roster, quality of value and so forth?

[BIGGEST UPGRADE]: Miro

- Max Caster?
- Dante Martin
- Eddie Kingston
- Brian Pillman Jr
- Fuego Del Sol
- Miro

[BIGGEST DOWNGRADE]: Brian Cage

- Cody Rhodes
- Brian Cage
- Trent
- Joey Janela
- Private Party

RING WORK

Explanation: Which two wrestlers were the best and the worst when performing in the ring?

[BEST]: Jungle Boy

- Bryan Danielson
- Jungle Boy
- Kenny Omega
- The Young Bucks

[WORST]: Luther

- Brock Anderson
- Cezar Bononi
- Rebel

MIC WORK

Explanation: Who had the best and worst promo skills, charisma, and performing as an entertaining character with all of the verbal aspects of AEW.

[BEST]: MJF

[WORST]: Cezar Bononi

- Vickie Guerrero

MATCH OF THE YEAR

Explanation: Matches can be from any show, including AEW Dark, AEW Dark: Elevation, AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage as well as pay-per-views.

[BEST]: MJF vs. Darby Allin (Full Gear)

- Lights Out Match: Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (Dynamite 3/7)

- Young Bucks vs Jurassic Express (Dynamite 8/18)

- IMPACT World Championship Match: Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage (Rampage 8/13)

- AEW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match: The Young Bucks vs The Lucha Bros (All Out)

- MJF vs Darby Allin (Full Gear)

- Falls Count Anywhere Match: Superkliq vs. Christian Cage and Jurassic Express (Full Gear)

- Hangman Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson (Winter is Coming)

[WORST]: Anthony Ogogo vs. Cody Rhodes (Double or Nothing)

- Britt Baker and Rebel vs. Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero (Dynamite 6/30)

[WRITING AWARDS]

CATCH PHRASE or SLOGAN

Explanation: This includes any kind of regularly mentioned slogan, taunt, catch phrase, signature sign-off or any verbal sayings of those sorts.

[BEST]: Cowboy shit

- I'm better than you, and you know it
- North Carolina!

[WORST]: Zero Miedo

- It's Stiiiiiing!
- Excuse me

GIMMICK

Explanation: Which wrestlers portrayed the best and the worst characters this year?

[BEST]: Miro

- Adam Page
- The Elite
- MJF
- Dark Order

[WORST]: Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero thief nuns from BTE

- KiLynn King isn't "Queen of Crazy"

TITLE REIGN

Explanation: Who had the most meaningful time with a championship to their name, where the matches were good, the feuds were interesting, and you were enjoying their reign, as well as who failed to meet those expectations and perhaps had a boring, uneventful, bad run with a belt.

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: all of the title reigns on this list

[BEST]: Kenny Omega (AEW World Championship)

[WORST]: Brian Cage (FTW Championship)

MOST SHOCKING MOMENT

Explanation: What was the absolute biggest surprise you had this entire year that you didn't see coming?

[MOST SHOCKING MOMENT]: Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson debut

SMARK OUT MOMENTS

Explanation: What did you consider to be the overall best and worst things to have happened this year? What was the coolest thing to make you happy as a fan and which moment was so horrible that it made you the most disappointed with AEW?

[BEST]: CM Punk debut

- Chris Jericho's promo on Pinnacle (Dynamite 4/7)
- CM Punk debut
- Adam Cole / Bryan Danielson debut

[WORST]: Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match finale

- Chris Jericho's fall from Blood & Guts
- Anthony Ogogo and Cody Rhodes weigh-in
- Cody Rhodes puts his boots in the ring to fake a retirement

STORYLINE

Explanation: What were the most interesting, well-executed storylines of the year and which feuds were the least interesting, terrible ones to watch?

[BEST]: The Rise and Fall of The Elite

- Redeemer Miro

[WORST]: Delusional Cody Rhodes

- Baker/Rose burgers
- Rhodes includes QT Marshall feud, Malakai Black stuff, Ogogo, Nightmare family/friends, Gunn Club turn, fake retirement, etc

PAY-PER-VIEW or SPECIAL EVENT

Explanation: What were your favorite and least favorite pay-per-views or special events from the year?

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All pay-per-views and special events are indicated on this list

[BEST]: Full Gear

[WORST]: possibly Road Rager or Beach Break

[PERFORMER AWARDS]

MANAGER or VALET

Explanation: This includes anybody who regularly accompanies someone down to the ring in some capacity, but is not their tag team partner in the ring.

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All managers and valets on the roster are indicated on this list

[BEST]: Don Callis

[WORST]: Vickie Guerrero

COMMENTATOR

Explanation: This includes all members of the commentary teams on all brands, including the foreign commentators.

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: X

[BEST]: Excalibur

[WORST]: Mark Henry

NEWCOMER

Explanation: The Best/Worst Newcomer award applies to anybody who either made their debut, or were repackaged into a completely different gimmick with a different name.

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All newcomers to the roster are indicated amongst the wrestlers on this list

[BEST]: Bryan Danielson

[WORST]: Brock Anderson

TAG TEAM or STABLE

Explanation: Which tag team or stable did you like and hate the most?

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All tag teams can be found on this list

[BEST]: The Elite

[WORST]: Hardy Family Office (TH2 in particular)

HEEL

Explanation: Who was the most hated villain and which wrestler failed the most to get the crowd to boo them?

[BEST]: MJF

- The Elite (Kenny Omega / The Young Bucks)
- Miro

[WORST]: Hardy Family Office

- Nyla Rose
- Aaron Solo

BABYFACE

Explanation: Who was the best fan-favorite hero and which wrestler wasn't able to pull off being a babyface?

[BEST]: (TIE) Adam Page and Jungle Boy

[WORST]: The Nightmare Family (Cody Rhodes, Brock Anderson, Lee Johnson, Shawn Dean, etc)

FEMALE WRESTLER

Explanation: Which female wrestlers were the cream of the crop and the bottom of the barrel?

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All wrestlers who were in AEW this year can be found on this list

[BEST]: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.

- Thunder Rosa
- Hikaru Shida

[WORST]: Ivelisse

MALE WRESTLER

Explanation: Which male wrestlers were the cream of the crop and the bottom of the barrel?

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All wrestlers who were in AEW this year can be found on this list

[BEST]: Kenny Omega

- "Hangman" Adam Page
- Bryan Danielson

[WORST]: Brock Anderson / Jack Evans

- Luther
- Aaron Solo

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Explanation: Judging as a co-ed award out of both the men and women wrestlers who were in the company at some point, who was the absolute best and worst in the company this year?

POSSIBLE OPTIONS: All wrestlers who were in AEW this year can be found on this list

[BEST]: Kenny Omega

[WORST]: Jack Evans

LET US KNOW YOUR PICKS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!