5 WWE and AEW Stars Who Took the Biggest Leap in 2021

Several notable stars helped to make 2021 an incredible year in professional wrestling. Names like Roman Reigns, Kenny Omega, Sasha Banks, and Bryan Danielson proved their worth, but other stars managed to advance their careers as well.

All Elite Wrestling signed a great crop of young talent, including Lee Moriarty, Daniel Garcia, Jamie Hayter, Lio Rush and HOOK. Meanwhile, NXT 2.0 has ushered in a new era for WWE's developmental brand. The experiment has already highlighted some up-and-comers like Carmelo Hayes, Tony D'Angelo and Bron Breakker.

The future is bright, and a handful of names have seemingly made it over the hump and onto a new plateau. Let's take a look at some names who made the most of the past 12 months. These are five WWE and AEW stars who took the biggest leap in 2021.

Dante Martin is an easy choice for AEW's breakout star of 2021 because of his unworldly athleticism and impressive matches.

As one-half of Top Flight, he and his brother have seemingly been on pace to do something special since their debut on the Nov. 18, 2020, episode of AEW Dynamite. Unfortunately, Darius Martin sustained an ACL injury in March, which forced him to undergo surgery.

In his absence, the 20-year-old has emerged as a promising young star following his performance in a six-man tag match against The Elite. In this showcase bout, Martin held his own against Kenny Omega, and it took a combined effort to put him away.

Ever since, the high-flyer has delivered some fantastic matches, including a hard-fought contest against Malakai Black. Afterward, he earned the Dutch star's respect. Even more, the St. Paul, Minnesota, native eventually gained the attention of Team Taz, The Acclaimed and Lio Rush, making him the most sought-after prospect on the roster.

On the Winter is Coming special, Martin faced MJF in the main event, when he was poised to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring before Ricky Starks interfered. He will be a name to look out for next year.

It took a little while for Miro to find a character that works with AEW, but he struck gold this year after he turned on Kip Sabian on the April 28 episode of Dynamite.

The Bulgarian star had finally developed the right blend of brutality and humor toward the end of their friendship. However, the 37-year-old stepped up to another level as God's Favorite Champion after he defeated Darby Allin to win the AEW TNT title.

Over the summer, Miro racked up eight defenses, including a phenomenal match with Eddie Kingston at All Out. Although Sammy Guevara ended his reign Sept. 29, the former WWE United States champion competed in a hard-hitting match against Bryan Danielson at Full Gear.

Miro would make an excellent addition to AEW's world-title picture in 2022. After all, he was one win away from challenging Adam Page instead of Danielson. Nevertheless, it will be fun to see what he does next.

Big E was well on his way to success as a singles competitor following his WWE Intercontinental Championship win on the Dec. 25, 2020, episode of SmackDown.

His second reign with the iconic workhorse title lasted 107 days and granted him a storyline with Apollo Crews heading into WrestleMania 37. At the event, the Tampa, Florida, native looked like a big star as rapper Wale performed his theme songs.

Crews defeated The New Day's resident powerhouse on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but the loss positioned him for bigger achievements. On June 25, Big E bested the Nigerian wrestler to qualify for the men's Money in the Bank ladder match and went on to become the first Black male winner.

On the Sept. 13 episode of Raw, he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Championship. It was a historic moment as it was the first time a Black man dropped another Black man for the title.

Britt Baker already had the makings of a star in 2020, but her feud with Thunder Rosa helped to cement her as one of the hottest wrestlers on the roster.

The two produced a critically acclaimed unsanctioned Lights Out match on the March 17 episode of Dynamite. Their brutal encounter pushed the envelope and granted The Role Model her first main event appearance of the year.

Baker lost to La Mera Mera but used the momentum to climb the women's ranking and challenge Hikaru Shida at Double or Nothing. At the event, the Pittsburgh native ended the Shining Samurai's 372-day reign.

As the reigning AEW women's world champion, the self-proclaimed Face of the Division headlined three shows, including the series premiere of Rampage and Grand Slam. The company's debut in New York City at Arthur Ashe Stadium boasted its highest attendance to date. That says a lot about Baker's growth that she was given the honor to close the show.

Even more, The Mayor of Brittsburgh has steadily improved as an in-ring competitor. She was already known for her promos and character work, but her matches have been better this year. For example, her title defense against Kris Statlander at All Out was one of the highlights of a stacked card.

Bianca Belair has to be WWE's breakout star of the year. Despite some questionable booking decisions, the 32-year-old amassed a monumental list of accomplishments.

Belair kicked off 2021 on a high note with a big win over Bayley on the Jan. 29 episode of SmackDown. Two days later, The EST of WWE wrestled for a record-setting 56 minutes and outlasted Rhea Ripley to become this year's women's Royal Rumble winner.

Then, she and Sasha Banks made history as the first Black women to compete in the main event of WrestleMania. This star-making performance helped the Knoxville, Tennessee, native secure her first title win. The landmark occurrence also earned an ESPY award for the WWE Moment of the Year.

The former CrossFit athlete also contributed to a sensational Hell in a Cell match with Bayley and a tremendous Triple Threat contest with Banks and Becky Lynch at Crown Jewel. To commemorate such a stellar year, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked Belair No. 1 on the 2021 PWI Women's 150 list.