Daily DDT 2021 Show of the Year: AEW All Out

September 5, 2021. Everyone knew that AEW All Out 2021 was going to be a special event. But I don’t think anyone other than those knowledgeable, understood just how much of a landscape rattling showcase this was set to become. Huge matches and even bigger debuts adorned AEW All Out 2021, easily making it the 2021 Daily DDT Show of the Year.

Heading into All Out, AEW picked up the biggest free agent in professional wrestling. CM Punk was such a get that his return segment generated millions of views, headlines across mainstream media, and interest from lapsed professional wrestling fans. His first match in seven years came on this evening, as he defeated Darby Allin after 16-minutes of action. It was “Clobberin Time” all over again, and this moment alone could have been enough to carry this show to win this award.

But earlier in that evening, The Young Bucks had to defend their AEW Tag Team Championships against The Lucha Brothers in a steel cage. Again, wrestling fans knew what to expect out of these four men, but they still found a way to overdeliver. This was the crowning moment that many felt was long overdue for Penta and Rey Fenix. That moment was massive, from their ring entrance, to finally getting the victory.

Ruby Soho. One of the most underutilized talents that WWE released during the global pandemic. She walked through the curtain as the last entrant to the Women’s Casino Battle Royale to a standing ovation from fans. Everything about her radiated superstar as she ran down to the ring. She was able to find a way to eliminate Thunder Rosa to win the match, creating one of the most tear-jerking moments in wrestling that year.

Jon Moxley and Satoshi Kojima did exactly what they said they would, and that was beat each other up. There was no way Kojima was going to get the victory, but he put up a valiant fight. This match won’t be remembered for that. Instead, Minoru Suzuki suddenly appeared on the ramp and walked down to the ring as the first major surprise of the night. Moxley and Minoru faced off, bringing fans back to their battles in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and setting up a North American run that built Suzuki’s legacy even higher.

Then it happened. Kenny Omega defeated Christian Cage in the main event to retain the AEW World Championship. He was joined by his brethren in The Elite, showing their dominance. Omega said that there was no one alive that could take him and the only hopes were already dead. Then, Adam Cole’s theme blasted through the silence. Two weeks earlier he battled Kyle O’Reilly at WWE NXT TakeOver 36. Yet here he was with a cocky smile attacking Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Cage.

That was enough, but it wasn’t. As they celebrated, Bryan Danielson then made his way out to the ring to help the fallen babyfaces. After the cameras were done rolling, Danielson had quite a bit to share about being in AEW for his love of professional wrestling. And since that moment, that’s exactly what he has done.

AEW All Out was a strong reminder of why there are fans of professional wrestling and the importance of rewarding them for investing their time and money in the industry. That is what made it such an exceptional show for wrestling fans. It was easy to award it with the 2021 Show of the Year but looking back it may be remembered as a catalyst to bigger things for AEW.