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It was the wrestling promotion started on a dare, a bet, and a challenge.
When Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter was asked point-blank if he thought a small promotion such as Ring of Honor would be able to sell out a 10000-seat arena, the long-time sports journalist had one reply.
But social media is not an echo chamber. While there were many fans, promoters, and critics who agreed with 'uncle Dave,' there was one rather high profile dissenter.
Cody Rhodes, at the time, under Ring of Honor Contract.
Shots had been fired. Cody Rhodes and the Bucks set out to prove Dave Meltzer wrong. Over time, it evolved from an ROH show to an independent production, albeit with some cooperation from both ROH and the NWA.
That independent show wound up being All In, and it was a resounding success. In fact, it was so successful that the one-time event evolved into a full-time promotion.
The Elite gathered in the snowy streets of Tokyo, Japan just after midnight on January 1st to announce the formation of All Elite Wrestling. Unlike other start-up promotions, such as Ring of Honor or TNA, AEW would feature some internationally recognized stars and have the necessary financial backing to take on the WWE for their market share.
As each new contract signing and announcement occurred, the fans grew more eager with anticipation. But once AEW achieved the ultimate coup and got Kenny Omega under contract, they haven't been able to achieve the same level of buzz.
With a television deal in the works, and several successful PPV shows under its belt, AEW is off to a start. But many fans have felt varying degrees of disappointment with the promotion.
Here are five ways AEW has been disappointing.
Disappointing #1: AEW doesn't have full time contracted talent
All Elite Wrestling follows the same playbook that Ring of Honor and Impact have when it comes to talent.
While they have stars under contract, those contracts are not exclusive. For example, while Impact won't allow their contracted stars to compete on WWE or ROH, they are free to work for other, smaller promotions or outside the United States.
This allows the wrestlers a great deal of flexibility when it comes to choosing when and where they want to work. However, it can backfire for a promotion. Scarlett Bordeaux, for example, was built up week after week on Impact but departed the company without returning the heat she had been given by other performers. Impact basically helped create a star for a different company.
Recently, the contractual situation in AEW led to the cancellation of a highly anticipated match between PAC and Adam Page. Because PAC was the champion in another promotion, he was not able to lose to Page as planned and their match was abruptly scrapped.
Many fans wish that AEW had full-time contracts for its talent for this very reason.
Exciting #1: Flexible contracts give fans the opportunity to see international wrestling stars
While the non-full time status of All Elite Wrestling contracts has caused the company problems, the benefits can outweigh the drawbacks.
WWE generally signs wrestlers to full time, exclusive contracts. The only other promotion to do this was the fallen World Championship Wrestling. By and large, most promotions allow their talent to work for other companies as well.
The non-exclusive contracts have several advantages. One, the amount paid for the contracts can be smaller because the wrestlers will be working dates for other companies and not relying on AEW as their sole source of income. Second, and more important for wrestling fans, AEW can promote international talent that fans in the United States might not otherwise be able to see.
This includes men like Dragon Gate star CIMA, who also wrestles for AEW. The fans are going to come out ahead with AEW's non-exclusive contract structure.
Disappointing #2: Kenny Omega has been underwhelming in AEW
For many months early in the year, the speculation was running wild about Kenny Omega.
The Cleaner had announced his intention to leave the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, the place where he became an international superstar. No less than two rumored meetings at WWE headquarters took place, and fans hoped for or decried the possibility of Omega wrestling on Raw or SmackDown Live.
But then Omega decided to join his friends Cody and the Bucks in AEW. Omega had a highly anticipated bout against Chris Jericho which, while not a bad match, was not on par with what Omega had done in NJPW.
Omega's second match was a six-man tag. The Cleaner teamed up with the Young Bucks to take on the Lucha Brothers and the Laredo Kid. Again, the match was not poor in quality but was not up to standard for Omega.
The Cleaner's bout against CIMA at Fight For the Fallen was the first evidence of the old Kenny Omega in AEW, giving fans some hope, but there's no doubt that overall Omega has been underwhelming in the new promotion.
Exciting #2: Kenny Omega is just getting started in AEW
Kenny Omega's third match for AEW was a singles contest against a man in his prime who could keep up with the Cleaner's insane cardio conditioning. That man was CIMA, and their match is a taste of things to come from Kenny Omega in AEW.
Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho may be a great way to sell tickets, but Jericho's age and nagging injuries meant that their match had to be somewhat slower-paced and more deliberate than Omega's work in NJPW.
Likewise, Omega is a good tag wrestler, but he's an outstanding singles competitor. His ability to tell a story is second only to his incredible athletic ability. So a six-man tag may not be the best environment for him to display his skill set.
But Omega is just getting started in AEW. Like most wrestlers, Omega is only as good as the opponent he's paired with, but there are plenty of stars in AEW who can take him to the limit.
Disappointing #3: All Elite Wrestling is still using an old-fashioned PPV model
A few years back, WWE announced the formation of the WWE Network, a streaming service which would showcase the extensive historical library that the company owns as well as one major caveat meant to entice viewers.
All WWE PPVs, including WrestleMania, would be included with the subscription cost.
WWE had seen declining PPV buy rates for years, much like MMA and other wrestling promotions had experienced. They reasoned they could make more money with the subscription model than the traditional PPV model, which relies on cable networks and other services.
But AEW is sticking to the old PPV model, utilized for years by WCW, WWE, and TNA. In order to see the upcoming All Out PPV, fans can expect to shell out $49.99. This is a very steep price, rivaling only WrestleMania on the old model.
AEW has excited fans around the world, but their insistence on relying on the antiquated PPV model has disappointed many fans who were hoping for a more fiscal alternative.
Exciting #3: All Elite Wrestling has made Pay Per View events feel special again
While it is true that All Elite Wrestling is operating on a past PPV model, it's also true that they are returning PPV wrestling to its roots.
When wrestling companies began to experiment with pay per view after the success of WrestleMania and Starrcade, the intention was to keep the number of PPV events per year low. Not only would this increase the odds that a fan would be willing to shell out extra money for the event, but it would also ensure the events kept their 'special' feel.
But as the Monday Night War ramped up, both WCW and WWE started having monthly PPVs. This became an industry standard, and the WWE has continued to run one or even two PPVs each and every month.
AEW's Pay Per views are more sporadic, but a lot of effort has been taken to make the events feel like special, can't miss shows.
Disappointing #4: The Elite's involvement in both management and talent roles leaves their status murky
Prior to the formation of All Elite Wrestling, Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks were well known as three of the most successful independent wrestlers of all time.
The Young Bucks had parlayed their brand ownership into a lucrative career and didn't need to rely on a big contract from WWE or Impact to make a good living. Rhodes became another hot commodity on the indie scene and wrestled for both New Japan and Ring of Honor as well as other, smaller promotions.
After the formation of AEW, the three men are no longer simply wrestlers. Now they hold positions of authority in the same promotion they helped found.
Historically, it's usually not a good idea for an active wrestler to be involved with the booking. Kevin Sullivan's disastrous booking during the early 1990s in WCW almost completely derailed Hulkamania, for example, and Jerry Lawler rarely allowed other talent to reign as champion in the promotions he owned and/or operated.
The Young Bucks and Cody are occupying a gray zone right now. Are they wrestlers, managers, or something in between? No one seems to have a good answer to that question. For now, they seem to be used as 'special attractions' who are outside of the title picture, but is that the best place for them?
Cody and the Bucks are straddling the fence between official and talent, and it both confuses fans and makes other wrestlers wary.
Exciting #4: Cody and the Young Bucks are in a unique position to book matches in the best possible way
There's an old adage in pro wrestling that goes like this:
Those who can't wrestle, book.
For those of you who don't know, a booker in pro wrestling is an individual who sets up matches and feuds – called marriages backstage – for the talent. They often have a lot of say in who gets pushed to the main event, and who is relegated for lower places on the card.
Ideally, bookers have some in-ring experience, but in many promotions, this has not been the case. Eric Bischoff, for example, had never wrestled a match when he was put in charge of WCW.
Then there is the aforementioned Kevin Sullivan, whose booking decisions nearly bankrupted WCW before the advent of the NWO. But the Young Bucks and Cody have a unique perspective on the wrestling business.
Since the trio have wrestled for different promotions all over the world, and have seen the worst of backstage politics, they can ensure such a toxic environment does not develop in AEW.
Disappointing #5: The company is years away from posing a serious threat to WWE
There were many fans and critics who have fervently hoped that All Elite Wrestling could pose a serious challenge to WWE's global dominance.
The reasons for this are many. For some, they have grown weary of WWE's product and believe it has become predictable, and they yearned for an alternative. For others, they were hoping that WWE would up its game in the face of new competition. And finally, there are those fans who simply love wrestling and were looking forward to having two major promotions to watch.
The truth is, All Elite Wrestling has a way to go before it can pose a serious threat to WWE. The reasons for this are myriad. A major factor would be the huge global footprint the WWE has at the current time. All Elite Wrestling simply has not built up the massive network of fans and venues that WWE has.
Another factor is the name recognition and brand loyalty. For many wrestling fans, WWE is the first and only promotion they watch. Nostalgia alone will make it a hard sell for them to switch to watching a different company's show.
While it's quite possible that AEW can pose a serious challenge to WWE's supremacy in the sports entertainment market, that day is probably at least several years away.
Exciting #5: In many ways, the new wrestling war is already underway
The Monday Night War may have been a more overt, protracted struggle, but rest assured that shots have already been fired in the new wrestling war between AEW and WWE.
Soon after the announcement that All Elite Wrestling was forming officially, WWE tag team division's Top Guys The Revival asked for their releases. As we all know now, those releases have not been granted.
Other wrestlers who have asked for WWE releases include Luke Harper and Sasha Banks. WWE has elected to have those athletes sit out their contracts rather than grant a release because they don't want established stars joining AEW.
If the wrestling war weren't looming on the horizon, the WWE wouldn't be playing hardball with their contracted wrestlers.
AEW has also hinted that they will attempt to run their weekly broadcasts in direct opposition to WWE. If that's not a sign that the wrestling war is imminent, we don't know what is.
There you have it: Five ways AEW has been disappointing to some fans and five ways they have generated excitement.
What do you think of AEW? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading.
