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With all the hype around it, All Elite Wrestling will host their first show Double or Nothing during the weekend. During the promotions, the Elites have reiterated that they are here to change the wrestling business for good.
While some things are definitely required to change, some things are integral to the business and should not be tampered with at all. Here I am listing some of the things that I would like them to change and some which should be retained.
#1 Bring in New Faces
To this point, only 5 former WWE wrestlers are booked for Double or Nothing- Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, PAC and Shawn Spears(Tye Dillinger).
Out of those, Goldust will probably only work at Double or Nothing. On the other hand, PAC had been pulled out of Double or Nothing due to creative differences and there is no certainty that he will ever return to AEW.
So, it leaves us with only 3 former WWE Superstars, which will be seen performing for AEW on a regular basis going forward.
In my opinion, they should not bring in any more than a handful of former WWE Superstars and those should also be bigger names like CM Punk or Dean Ambrose.
If they would keep bringing in mid-card guys from WWE or WWE legends, they would again fall into the same trap as TNA back in the day.
#2 Fresh Storylines
While WWE has tried to bring in some different storylines, their unorganized creative team was unable to execute them properly.
In the start, AEW's creative team consists of a small group of people, which could result in clearer ideas and they could actually try some out of the box ideas that could stick.
They are also saying that they will give more freedom to the wrestlers regarding their characters which could result in better continuity with the storylines.
But their real test will start once their weekly show will start during the fourth quarter of the year.
Churning out good storylines constantly, 52 weeks a year is a hard thing to do. And on top of that, they will also need to take care of injuries while also staying true to their commitment towards the easier workload for the performers. They might be in for a much harder task than they have imagined.
#3 Stop 50-50 Bookings
This is something WWE has done so much lately. While I get that 50-50 bookings are required to bring in the credibility for all the performers involved, it takes the sting out of the eventual showdown.
Even if the opponents are well matched in their abilities, a 50-50 booking hurts the buildup. It has to be clear that one guy has an advantage going into the match.
#4 Make a Wrestling Show on TV and Not a TV Show on Wrestling!
Many people use to differentiate between WWE and WCW back in the day on these criteria. WCW was called a TV company churning out a wrestling show while WWE was always a wrestling promotion which is airing its weekly shows. While it was true back in the 2000s, now, WWE seems to be making more of TV shows than wrestling shows.
A few years back, they hired writers from sitcoms. There is less and less wrestling on the shows and more of promos.
The wrestlers who look prettier, but have inferior wrestling talent, are pushed more than the ones with average looks but more wrestling abilities. All of these need to change. Almost nobody cares how good looking a wrestler is if they entertain us during a match.
#5 Change the Look and Aesthetics of the Show
When was the last time that WWE or for that matter any other wrestling promotion changes the way their show looks? TNA tried with a six-sided ring in the last decade, but that was it.
We are still getting the same camera angles, the same kind of ramps and even the same kind of commentary tables among other things. Some changes are required to bring in the different aesthetic appeal of the show overall.
#6 Keep Women's Division's Growth Organic
While WWE has focused on its women's division in recent years and took it to the pinnacle with the first ever Women's main event match at WrestleMania, there will be pressure on AEW to continue being the flag bearer of Women's evolution in wrestling. But again, AEW should avoid to bring women's wrestling to the forefront and let them get over with fans organically.
WWE managed to get away with it because Becky was the hottest among the fans than anyone else in the history of women's wrestling while they also had a proven main event star in Ronda Rousey. AEW, however, need to build their women's division from scratch. Bitt Baker and Allie are probably going to be the face of their women's division, but they are not yet ready for being the main event players.
The expectations are really high from AEW which can work both as a boon or bane for them. If they differ too much from wrestling norms, they will face outrage. But if they keep things, all the same, they will again be called the WWE knock offs like TNA/Impact. Hope they will be able to crack a nice formula.
