The Real Winners and Losers from 2021 AEW All Out

AEW All Out 2021 was set to be a special night, and it more than delivered. Everyone came to compete in one of the most physical and exciting nights in AEW's history.

Many expected this to be special. The promises had been massive. CM Punk returned to a wrestling ring. Kenny Omega and Christian Cage followed up on a fantastic match at AEW Rampage with an even bigger clash. Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix tried to finally end their feud with Matt and Nick Jackson.

Ruby Soho made her expected return to action in a huge way. Jon Moxley got the chance to compete against another New Japan Pro-Wrestling legend Satoshi Kojima. Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole arrived in AEW.

From Punk vs. Darby Allin to Young Bucks vs. Lucha Brothers, this night had so many matches and moments that had everyone talking. It was a night of wins for all of AEW.

There were so many winners on this huge night that it may not even be possible to state any losers on an incredible night of wrestling for All Elite Wrestling.

The "forbidden door" opened wide for AEW, NJPW and Impact Wrestling last year, and no one has gladly welcomed it more than Jon Moxley. Even before it opened, he made sure he had a chance to compete in Japan while signed with All Elite Wrestling.

Now, he can get those matches on American soil. He got a chance to compete with the legendary Satoshi Kojima in a match that was better than it had any right to be.

Then Minoru Suzuki entered the building. The King wanted his pound of flesh, laying out Death Rider. While the two men have already wrestled in NJPW, this will be for an even larger audience on AEW Dynamite. Mox gets to come back to his hometown and have the match he wants.

Clearly, Moxley is having the time of his life. He can basically pick and choose any wrestler from outside WWE to compete with. In the past year, he has been AEW world champion, IWGP United States champion and GCW world champion. Who knows what other titles he will go after soon?

Mox is living his best life right now. Win or lose in every match, he remains a consummate winner in the freedom he has been given outside the WWE system.

The Lucha Brothers had the entrance of the night before they stepped into the steel cage, ready to end their feud with The Young Bucks in their best match yet. This was a special match with a crowd-pleasing finish that finally let Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix stand atop the division.

It has been a long road to the AEW Tag Team Championships for Lucha Bros. One of the first teams signed with AEW, they got close to becoming the very first tag team champions, barely losing out to SCU. They had multiple huge matches with The Young Bucks but came up short in the long run.

It may have ultimately been for the best as this moment was all the more special. The crowd was absolutely in their corner throughout, only invested more the longer the match went on. It was a special showcase for two of the best luchadors in the world.

In the end, Penta and Fenix stand atop the best tag team division in any promotion. The possibilities are endless going forward.

Lucha Brothers can face FTR, Santana and Ortiz, Jurassic Express, The Acclaimed, The Varsity Blondes and more. The tag team division needed a fresh face at the top, and Penta and Fenix have earned that spot.

The Casino Battle Royale has always been a great moment to pull off surprises, and there was perhaps no bigger spot Ruby Soho could have returned to wrestling in. Not only did she step into the Joker role but also ended up winning after last eliminating Thunder Rosa.

While word came out months back that Ruby would sign with AEW and even the crowd was sure she would appear, it was still special. She looked more like a star than she ever got the chance to be in WWE.

It should be fun to see what she can do without constraints. She repeatedly overperformed in every major spotlight she was given. The crowd adored her throughout her return to the ring. Hopefully, that energy will be felt every night.

This is the absolute hope of what AEW can be for professional wrestling. This company can work as a legitimate alternate, highlighting talent WWE would not value along the way.

She will face Dr. Britt Baker DMD soon thanks to this victory. Baker had one of her best matches to date at All Out against Kris Statlander, and the match with Ruby could be even better.

CM Punk stepped into the ring for the first time in seven years, and he delivered. The crowd was on fire for his first match back, and he competed like he had never left. He ultimately won in front of a roaring crowd and got he respect of Sting along the way.

Whatever comes next for Punk, a bar has been set that he can absolutely continue to meet or exceed. He was clearly in good shape, but he also was still finding his feet at times.

What mattered was that he could still do it after all the time away. His passion for the business was obvious in every move. He told an interesting story that defined his strategy to defeat a game Darby Allin. He just had to keep ducking and hitting back.

Ultimately, he managed to counter one more move than his opponent and never made his opponent look like anything less than one of the best in the company. It was clear that Punk could very well lose a rematch if it came about.

It should be fun to see what Punk does next. Who will be his next target? What stories will he continue to tell as he finds his wrestling feet once more?

Is AEW ever going to be able to compete at WWE's level? Maybe not, but tonight was a night for AEW fans that changed up the dynamic of the entire roster. It felt like a grand turning point for a company already on the rise.

On top of CM Punk returning to action, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole made their debuts for AEW. It was a spectacular moment to see two of WWE's recent top stars appear back to back to add a new top face and top heel to the company.

The crowd was ecstatic for each arrival. Everything that was promised was delivered and more. It was the rare show that showed that there is no limit to how good wrestling can be.

AEW will still need to continue building other divisions. Give more story depth to the women's division. Let young stars continue to shine despite a constantly growing roster. Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal of giving the fans something special each time out.

However, for one night, AEW felt like the absolute peak of the wrestling industry. Everyone got their money's worth.