AEW is kicking off their 2nd half of the year tonight in Miami and are officially back on the road. 2021 has been great so far for AEW and now that they’re the only wrestling show on Wednesday night, they have more potential viewership. Also, they’re expanding. They will debut AEW Rampage next month and it will open up more opportunities for talent to get involved. This time last year, there were less options for AEW to showcase and push, but now it is evident that they have a lot of depth. You will see that in my rankings breakdown. On average, the Top 5 is getting about 3-4 less appearances per performer than last year, I think that is a good thing though. It’s always better to have too much depth than not enough, but obviously it is how you can utilize as many talents as you can. I wouldn’t say the Top 5 is surprising this year, but there are a couple performers that I am a little surprised to see not make the cut. I won’t waste any more time, here is the Top 5 for the First Half of 2021 for AEW

Just Missed the Cut

Here are the performers that were good, but just missed out on the Top 5

8 Appearances: Jon Moxley

7 Appearances: Britt Baker, Jake Hager, MJF

6 Appearances: FTR, Jungle Boy, Miro, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz

5 Appearances: Christian Cage, Good Brothers, Wardlow

First Half 2021 AEW Power Rankings

5: Chris Jericho (9 Appearances)

The Inner Circle’s storyline with The Pinnacle has propelled Jericho into the Top 5, but even though I didn’t expect him to be in the Top 5, It isn’t exactly surprising. Somehow, someway, Jericho is involved every week on Dynamite and has been a big part of every show. Jericho hasn’t been in the title picture in over a year and he doesn’t have to be. He was needed to get them started as a promotion, but now, AEW is established and they have stars. Jericho doesn’t need a belt to prove his worth. He will prove his worth just by being present and he does that and then some. His Infamous cage fall at Blood and Guts was a sore spot for a lot of fans, but I don’t put any of that blame on the performers. I can’t say what the next 6 months will be like for The Inner Circle and Jericho but expect them to be featured heavily if they’re on TV.

4: Darby Allin (9 Appearances; 4 Number Ones)

I thought Darby was a lock for the Top 3, but that technically isn’t the case. He tied the 3rd place spot for appearances, but not in Number Ones. Darby Allin made the TNT Championship an even more meaningful belt and I think he has established himself as a star on Wednesday nights. It is difficult to ignore the similarities between he and Jeff Hardy and that is why fans love him. It also doesn’t hurt to have Sting on your side each week. I don’t know if Sting will continue to align himself with Darby, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.

3: The Young Bucks (9 Appearances; 6 Number Ones)

This was one of the least surprising ones of the bunch. The Bucks are so dislikeable, they’re likeable. Seriously though, the Young Bucks have such a great presence in the tag team division and we were all expecting this style of domination at some point, it just so happens that we’re in the midst of it. I have been critical of the Bucks in the past, but I have never diminished the fact that they’re good at what they do. Their 6 Number Ones just prove how impactful they are, and I expect them to be just as impactful in the Second Half of 2021.

2: Hangman Adam Page (10 Appearances)

I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see Hangman at number 2, but looking back, he was featured quite a bit. He may not have had the biggest matches on the card, but he has put together a great 2021 thus far. Page should find a lot more success in the second half and considering how good his first half was, that is saying something. Page’s alignment with the Dark Order has been very entertaining and it wasn’t really something we expected, but I’m glad it happened. Nobody can replace Brodie Lee, but Page’s involvement has been a welcoming sight. Page will likely be Omega’s next big-time challenger and I think he will be the one to take Omega down. We’ll see, but I think Page may could definitely be the Second Half MVP.

1: Kenny Omega (11 Appearances; 6 Number Ones)

Not at all shocking to see Omega at Number One, but I am a little surprised that the deficit is this close. Omega has been the only champ of 2021 and has been featured in a lot of spots. I have been critical of Omega’s title reign and I personally think he has been the worst champion in AEW history. I was fine with him winning it in December and I was fine with the fashion in which he won it, but I think a lot of times Omega tries too hard to do things over-the-top when they don’t have to be. I hate to break out the B-word, but I think Omega is pretty boring as a heel. I think he is better as a belt chaser rather than a belt collector, but they don’t ask for my opinions. Omega should maintain his success for the rest of 2021, but it will be interesting to see where he’s at in January.

Yacs

2021 AEW Power Rankings Midseason Breakdown