Winter Is Coming (2021)

The 2021 Winter Is Coming was the second annual Winter Is Coming professional wrestling television special produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event took place on December 15, 2021, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. It was broadcast live on TNT as a special episode of AEW's weekly television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite.

Winter Is Coming
Promotional poster featuring "Hangman" Adam Page and Bryan Danielson
PromotionAll Elite Wrestling
DateDecember 15, 2021
CityGarland, Texas
VenueCurtis Culwell Center
Tagline(s)War Is Here[1]
Winter Is Coming chronology
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2022
AEW Dynamite special episodes chronology
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Holiday Bash

Four matches were contested at the event. In the main event, MJF defeated Dante Martin to win the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring for the third time. The event was highly praised by fans and critics, with particular praise going towards the opening bout between defending AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page and Bryan Danielson; their match ended in a 60-minute time limit draw. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer gave the match a 5 star rating.

Production

Background

In December 2020, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held a television special titled Winter Is Coming, which aired as a special episode of AEW's flagship program, Wednesday Night Dynamite.[2] The episode's title "Winter Is Coming" was derived from Game of Thrones, a television series from HBO, which is part of the WarnerMedia subsidiary of AT&T, which also includes AEW broadcast partner TNT.[3] On the November 19, 2021, episode of Friday Night Rampage, it was announced that a second Winter Is Coming would take place at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas as the December 15, 2021, episode of Dynamite on TNT, thus establishing Winter Is Coming as an annual television special for AEW. The December 17 episode of Rampage was also taped that same night following the live broadcast of Winter Is Coming.[4]

Storylines

Winter Is Coming featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[5] Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the supplementary online streaming shows, Dark and Elevation, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.

At Full Gear, "Hangman" Adam Page won the AEW World Championship, while also at the event, Bryan Danielson won the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament to earn a future match for the title.[6] The championship match was then scheduled for Winter Is Coming. In the weeks leading up to the event, Danielson defeated several of Page's friends in The Dark Order.[7]

On the December 8 episode of Dynamite, the third annual Dynamite Dozen Battle Royale took place in which the cowinners would face each other for the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring at Winter Is Coming. The cowinners of the match were MJF and Dante Martin.[8]

Results
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes[9]
1"Hangman" Adam Page (c) vs. Bryan Danielson ended in a time limit drawSingles match for the AEW World Championship[10]1:00:00
2Wardlow (with Shawn Spears) defeated Matt Sydal by pinfallSingles match1:43
3Hikaru Shida defeated Serena Deeb by pinfallSingles match12:46
4MJF defeated Dante Martin by submissionSingles match for the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring[11]12:25
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

References
  1. "WAR IS HERE The Dynamite Diamond Finals pits 2x winner @The_MJF against @lucha_angel1.Who walks out with the coveted Dynamite Diamond Ring? Tune in TONIGHT for #AEWDynamite #WinterIsComing at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5PT LIVE on @tntdrama!". All Elite Wrestling. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  2. Renner, Ethan (November 18, 2020). "AEW announces 'Winter is Coming' event for December 2nd Dynamite". Figure Four Online. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  3. AEW Dynamite Post Show w/ Tony Schiavone | 11/18/20. YouTube. All Elite Wrestling. November 18, 2020. Event occurs at 37:17-38:00. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  4. Guzzo, Gisberto (November 19, 2021). "AEW Announces 'Winter Is Coming' Dynamite For 12/15/21; Owen Hart Cup Information To Be Revealed". Fightful. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  5. Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  6. Barnett, Jake (November 13, 2021). "AEW Full Gear results: Barnett's live review of Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship, Bryan Danielson vs. Miro in the eliminator tournament finals, Penta and Rey Fenix vs. FTR for the AEW Tag Titles, CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston, Britt Baker vs. Tay Conti for the AEW Women's Title, Darby Allin vs. MJF". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  7. Renner, Ethan (December 1, 2021). "PAGE VS. DANIELSON WORLD TITLE MATCH SET FOR AEW WINTER IS COMING". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  8. Wilkins, Rob (December 8, 2021). "AEW Dynamite Results For 12/8/21 The Young Bucks vs. Orange Cassidy and Rocky Romero and much more". Fightful. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  9. Barnett, Jake (December 15, 2021). "12/15 AEW Dynamite results: Barnett's live review of the Winter is Coming themed show with Omos vs. Commander Azeez for the AEW World Championship, Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb, MJF vs. Dante Martin for the Dynamite Diamond Ring, Wardlow vs. Matt Sydal". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  10. Lambert, Jeremy (December 1, 2021). "AEW World Title Match Official For AEW Dynamite Winter Is Coming". Fightful. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  11. Lambert, Jeremy (December 1, 2021). "Bryan Danielson Bout, Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale, More Set For 12/8 AEW Dynamite". Fightful. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
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