Tracking the Latest Trends for 2021 Pro Wrestling in WWE and AEW

When The Elite revealed plans to build All Elite Wrestling on the Jan. 1, 2019 episode of Being the Elite, many fans and insiders predicted a creative and lucrative period for the professional wrestling industry.

That didn't quite happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic sinking all the momentum and excitement around live events for the past 12 months, but the industry has still changed quite a bit over the last two years.

The emergence of AEW as an alternative wrestling program in the United States has undeniably impacted the entire industry.

WWE is still the biggest fish in the pond, but the landscape around it continues to evolve. Moreover, this upswell of new possibilities has even forced the brainchild of Vincent J. McMahon Sr. to take some different approaches to expand its audiences.

We are in a new year, but there's still so much uncertainty at the moment. Things are still changing rapidly, but we may not see the fruits of these developments until 2022.

Nevertheless, let's take a look at some of the hottest trends in pro wrestling and how they will affect WWE and AEW in the coming months.

The New NXT

NXT has changed more than any other aspect of WWE programming since the move to network television in October 2019.

The black-and-gold brand has gone through some notable stylistic adjustments to match the production value on Raw and SmackDown, but its main function and the targeted audience is where one can see more of a difference.

The former developmental brand used to work as a smaller unfiltered version of WWE's shows where new faces could establish a character and familiarity to the company's house style. Then it would act as a feeder for the main roster.

These days, it's sort of a third brand as it has become more and more similar to its red and blue counterparts. There are fewer call-ups and some of its biggest stars such as Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa have opted to stay put, while NXT alumni like Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze have returned to their old stomping grounds.

As a result, the NXT roster is getting a little crowded and some up-and-comers aren't getting the screen time they could use to improve.

This new dynamic has had an unexpected effect on WWE in a year when it has been unable to produce house shows. These non-televised events gave wrestlers room to improve outside of the constraints of Raw and SmackDown. Without them and NXT as we knew it, some of the more unseasoned performers haven't been able to progress as much as they could.

AEW has managed to get around this issue with their YouTube show, AEW Dark. WWE will have to find a way to adjust its developmental process, as well.

NXT also packs more episodes with stipulation matches and major title matches in an attempt to entice viewers. To be fair, some fans have criticized AEW for long and overwrought matches, too. It seems like a great problem to have as every Wednesday guarantees some of the best wrestling available.

However, NXT's appeal wasn't just great in-ring work. Its attention to detail and top-notch storytelling is what made it special, but that has been lacking now that it's a live show.

Everyone is focusing more on work rate now. With New Japan Pro-Wrestling coming to the Roku Channel, the black-and-gold brand will have to find a new way to differentiate itself in a crowded market where fans have access to more shows with a similar aesthetic.

The way WWE responds will be telling over the next year.

The Resurgence of High Impact Wrestling

High-quality pro wrestling matches are more readily available now than they ever have been. Ring of Honor helped to bring the indie aesthetic that has become a norm to the mainstream, and WWE capitalized on the popularity of the style with the addition of stars like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

This also, arguably, led to NXT becoming so popular for at its peak and AEW continuing to appeal to an audience that wants fast-paced and high impact matches.

It could be great for an industry that became obsessed with courting the next big MMA crossover star. Of course, that's not a trend that will go away anytime soon as Brock Lesnar's return to WWE in 2012 worked so well and Ronda Rousey had a fantastic rookie year with the company.

However, professional wrestling is just too niche to compete with mixed martial arts. Many UFC fans will never buy into it the way that wrestling fans do, and it is difficult to keep casual fans invested. As such, it makes more sense to play to a crowd that just enjoys the pastime for what it is.

With that said, this also creates a difficult balancing act for AEW and WWE because their shows have to be accessible to a larger crowd if they want to bring in more viewers. This seems like an issue that has affected AEW more more because it's still relatively new. It has made attempts to become more relevant outside of hardcore fans, but it will take some time.

The Attention of Pop and Hip Hop Stars

Both AEW and WWE have tried to reach new fans through pop stars and rappers over the last few months. Snoop Dogg appeared on the Jan. 6 episode of Dynamite and Bad Bunny performed at Royal Rumble before seemingly becoming a recurring addition to Raw every Monday night.

Of course, this isn't a new trend as wrestling has attracted major music acts for decades, but many new high-profile names have become attached to it recently.

Cardi B publicly geeked out over her favorite wrestler on Twitter last month after Torrie Wilson mentioned her on Raw, and Bow Wow is the most recent childhood fan who expressed interest in working with WWE.

Rappers like Wale, The Flatbush Zombies, Smoke DZA, Westside Gunn, Conway, and Action Bronson proudly watch wrestling. They've all been spotted at live events and have even penned lyrics inspired by their favorite stars. Wale famously accompanied The Street Profits to the ring on the Oct. 2, 2019 episode of NXT and recorded Big E's current theme song.

With so much buzz, both AEW and WWE would be foolish if they didn't make a concerted effort to work with these names. Wrestling should embrace this. They have a larger audience and there is an opportunity to create positive representation for people of color in the process.

The Popularity of Women's Wrestling

The popularity of women's wrestling is at an all-time high around the world. There was a time when many indie promotions didn't have a women's title, but within the last six years, that has quickly changed as women have proved to be an integral part of the industry.

In 2018, Becky Lynch became one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster. The Man, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey made history as the first women to main-event WrestleMania in April 2019.

And NXT's stacked women's roster has continued to produce some of the most marketable and talented performers in the company.

Women are the future. More often than not, they have been the highlight of the card they appear on. For example, the 2021 women's Royal Rumble match easily upstaged the main event last weekend. Thunder Rosa vs. Hikaru Shida was also the best at AEW All Out in September.

Lynch and Sasha Banks are among WWE's most recognized stars at the moment, so they should make plans to do a follow-up to Evolution soon. With all the noteworthy names on NXT or NXT UK, they could also reintroduce the Mae Young Classic. There are so many possibilities, and the company has the means to do even more.

The AEW women's division isn't nearly as well established, but the upcoming Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament is a step in the right direction.

Working with Joshi promotions such as TJP, Gatoh Move and Marvelous is a great move that will bring more attention to the company and Japanese women's wrestling.

Cross-Promotional Partnerships

AEW isn't just working with Joshi promotions in Japan for its 16-woman tournament. Kenny Omega and Don Callis opened the door to a wealth of possibilities when they appeared on Impact with the company's world title on Dec. 6.

Now, AEW is engaged in a working relationship with Impact Wrestling. Omega and The Good Brothers reunited and competed in the main event of Hard to Kill last month. Gallows and Anderson have been on recent episodes of Dynamite and Private Party challenged for Impact's tag title on Saturday at No Surrender.

If that wasn't surreal enough for you, New Japan Cup USA winner, Kenta, showed up at the end of last week's Dynamite to even the score with Jon Moxley. Thunder Rosa lost to Britt Baker earlier that night, so AEW is working with Impact, NWA and NJPW wrestlers in some capacity.

This is a seismic shift that could change the industry for years to come. It's hard to predict where this will go but for now, it's a positive sign for the health of professional wrestling. Parity is a good thing, and AEW's willingness to work with other companies makes them a viable alternative to WWE.

This trend may not bring in casual fans, but it's an exciting time for hardcore viewers who salivated over dream matches featuring wrestlers from AEW, NJPW and Impact. For the first time in ages, it feels like anything can happen. It will be fun to watch, and it will be even more intriguing to see how WWE reacts.

This could open the door for the company to sign even more international stars or create a significant working relationship similar to what it has done with Evolve. It may seem hyperbolic but this could change everything.