Eddie Kingston a Bigger Star in Defeat and More AEW Full Gear 2021 Hot Takes

All Elite Wrestling's Full Gear pay-per-view is in the rearview mirror, and in its wake, it left many a fan happy following "Hangman" Adam Page's world title triumph over Kenny Omega in the night's main event.

Saturday's card was stellar from top to bottom. One match on the bill was Eddie Kingston's personal war with CM Punk, and while he did not defeat the Second City Saint, he turned in an incredible performance that, for a few reasons, has his star burning brighter than ever before.

Cody Rhodes competed on PPV again, earning a chorus of boos from fans who demand more or something different from the EVP of the company. Beyond him, it was the outcome of his match and how it affects Malakai Black and Andrade El Idolo that has some fans scratching their heads.

Then there was the AEW women's division, often pinpointed as the one area in need of improvement in the company. Saturday night, the competitors that got ring time showed up and showed out, providing a glimpse of what could well be a bright future for women's wrestling in the promotion.

Eddie Kingston's Performance, Connection with Fans Elevates Star Even in Defeat

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

It became clear during his match with CM Punk on Saturday night that Eddie Kingston was not going away. He wasn't a fad opponent for the top signee in company history. No, he was a grizzled vet with an inspiring story whose ability to express his emotions on the microphone had earned him an impenetrable connection with fans.

That relationship, combined with his performance and some great crowd manipulation by his opponent, helped him leave the latest AEW pay-per-view with his star burning brighter than it ever has before.

Kingston arrived amid a thunderous ovation that only grew throughout the match. The people already loved him, thanks to a persistence and determination to succeed when others may have folded and gone home. His intimate look into the Eddie Kingston experience, published in The Players' Tribune on Tuesday, only further appealed to fans.

The prematch blow he dealt to Punk set the tone, and what followed was a gritty, gutsy performance by Kingston that saw him weather everything thrown at him by his decorated opponent until he simply could not fight anymore. The boos directed at Punk as he hoisted him on his shoulders for the second Go To Sleep of the match, the first negative reaction he has endured since his magical comeback in the summer, indicated just how strongly the AEW faithful felt about The Mad King.

As recently as a year ago, Kingston's prospects in the industry were unknown, to say the least. He was ready to give up on chasing stardom and look for a 9-5 job. Now, on the heels of the most personal match of his career, he emerges defeated but a bigger star.

Given a platform and a microphone and allowed to be himself, he has created a buzz within the industry, and his relationship with fans has him finally achieving the goals he set for himself.

Malakai Black and Andrade El Idolo Suffer Puzzling Defeat

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Amid a clamor from fans for a heel turn by Cody Rhodes, it was not the unsatisfying American Nightmare persona that lost Sunday night's match but rather Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black.

The two heels, still relatively new to AEW, lost a tag match to Rhodes and PAC for no reason other than to continue the narrative of Rhodes' rejuvenation, despite a chorus of boos from the fans inside Target Center.

It was not about whether Black and El Idolo could afford the loss. Instead, that was deemed unnecessary.

Black was one of the hottest stars in the company until Rhodes beat him in October. El Idolo has never had momentum on his side in the promotion. Throw in some questionable booking that suddenly had the former NXT world champions aligned in their battle against all that is good, and you had every bit of evidence necessary to know that Black and El Idolo should not have lost their first pay-per-view matches with the company.

But they did.

Not because it somehow elevated Rhodes and PAC. Nor because it was essential to the story. They lost, well, just because.

There will probably be some overly complicated explanation of why that particular decision was made—maybe something to do with FTR and maybe a reunion with their fellow NXT alumni. But none of that takes away from the fact that Black, the coolest and most interesting character on the show as recently as mid-October, and the hugely talented Idolo endured a loss in a company in which they matter when they did not have to.

They didn't even have to be involved in the match. AEW could have gone to any other heels, like Hardy Family Office, who didn't need to maintain an aura or momentum like them.

The more booking decisions are stubbornly made surrounding Rhodes' character, which is simply not working with audiences, the greater the opportunity for fans to reject The American Nightmare and whatever story he is involved in.

Black and El Idolo have endured enough frustrating booking in recent years. They don't need to be the collateral damage of bad storytelling, puzzling booking and miscast characters.

Women's Division Brimming with Star Potential Following PPV

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

One of the more consistent complaints about AEW from its inception in 2019 through today has been its utilization of its women's roster. While there are still issues that need to be addressed for it to be a truly equal part of the show compared to its male counterpart, Saturday provided a positive glimpse into the future.

We already knew what Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose were capable of, having seen them on the pay-per-view stage multiple times. During the Buy-In match featuring both of those women, though, it was Thunder Rosa and Jamie Hayter who stood out.

Rosa remains incredibly over with audiences, to the point that it can be argued she is the most popular babyface in the division. Hayter was great, upping the intensity in the match and cementing her status as a dark horse in the TBS Championship tournament.

Throw in a little Serena Deeb, who kept alive her rivalry with Shida by nearly costing her the match, and you had plenty of reasons to be impressed. By the time Tay Conti killed it in her first PPV title opportunity against Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., the future never looked brighter for a division that is finding its footing with every passing week.

Does that mean things are all bright and sunshiny? Absolutely not. There still needs to be attention paid to developing characters and letting their personalities show. The majority of their matches need not take place during the picture-in-picture commercial break every week.

With that said, there have been strides made, and the performers themselves are making the most of every opportunity they have to shine. We saw it Saturday night, beginning with the Buy-In and rolling right through the main card's title bout. Now it is time for the company to maintain that momentum and let its loaded women's roster thrive.