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As the pro wrestling industry braces itself for the newest wrestling war, we grade AEW on their battle readiness to take on the WWE on Wednesday Nights.
Coke and Pepsi. Marvel and DC. Republicans and Democrats. Good and Evil. It seems as if modern society loves its binary systems. The 'either-or' situation many of these companies and political parties actually help maintain their industry dominance by snuffing out the voices of lesser-known competitors.
It's been true of wrestling in the past, as well, particularly after Vince McMahon threw a wrench in the old territorial system. In the 1980s, it was often the NWA vs. the then-WWF. Fans on both sides of the fence would list numerous reasons their brand was the best brand of sports entertainment, but for the most part wrestling fans watched both promotions whenever possible.
But the rivalry intensified when Ted Turner bought JC Productions, which owned most of the major NWA stars' contracts, and wound up pitting their Monday Nitro broadcast vs. WWE's Monday Night Raw. Despite the heightened intensity in the competition, fans and critics alike believe that the two promotions benefited from it.
The WWE came out on top in the so-called Monday Night Wars, by purchasing their flagging rival. For the past two decades, WWE has been without serious competition.
But now, All Elite Wrestling has arrived on the scene. Set to debut on Wednesday nights on WCW's old network, TNT, the upstart promotion promises to be a serious contender for WWE. And WWE has definitely taken notice because they are counter-programming AEW with NXT.
So a new wrestling war is on the horizon, and in many ways, the first skirmishes have already happened. But how ready is AEW to take on the global juggernaut that is WWE? We will grade All Elite Wrestling on the following criteria.
Star Power: Pro Wrestling thrives upon its performers, first and foremost. Does AEW have the necessary star power going into the new wrestling war?
Production Value: What is production value? The difference between a cheaply filmed reality show and grand visions like Game of Thrones are illustrated variations on production value.
Storytelling: How well does the AEW spin a story, and do the fans get emotionally invested in it?
Wrestling quality: Simply put, is the in-ring action good?
Audience: What demographic is the show designed to appeal to, and how successful is that appeal being made?
Industry Buzz: How invested is the internet wrestling community and the industry as a whole in the workings of the AEW?
Let's start the grading now:
#1 Star power
Any wrestling company thrives upon its stars. Would WWE have been able to dominate the 1980s had it not been for Hulk Hogan? Would they have won the Monday Night War without Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mick Foley? The answer is murky at best.
AEW has put together its roster piece by piece. The upstart promotion is certainly not lacking in star power. Chris Jericho has been wrestling on television for as long as many wrestling fans have been alive. His mere presence lends prestige to AEW. Factor in other respected veterans like Christopher Daniels and Frank Kazarian and the prestige rises even higher.
Jon Moxley, AKA Dean Ambrose is also an instantly recognizable face. But everyone knows that one man is responsible for truly making AEW's roster stand out. That man is the 'best bout machine' Kenny Omega.
Grade: A+
AEW has plenty of star power to begin the Wednesday Night War.
#2 Production value
Our second category is production value. The upstart promotion has been 'all in' from the start, but how well are they doing with actual production?
For a fledgling organization with only a few shows under its belt, AEW's productions have been surprisingly slick. That being said, there have been minor issues with getting the action happening in the ring onto the screens of fans. AEW, frankly, has an Impact Wrestling level of production value. They're somewhat polished, but lacking the refinement that WWE displays on a weekly basis.
Fortunately, this is something that AEW can take steps to improve. Fans should expect to see a gradual increase in quality as AEW finds its footing.
Grade: B-
All Elite Wrestling's productions don't look bad – certainly, they appear far more polished than Ring of Honor's broadcasts – but there is room for improvement, which will need to be done if they expect to compete with WWE.
#3 Storytelling
The new kids on the block AEW haven't had much of a chance to build up storylines or angles, but what they have done has clicked well. Jericho's surprise involvement in the world title picture was handled with great finesse and secrecy, and Jon Moxley's role has been more compelling than anything he did in WWE for the past several years. That being said, the undercard is highly underdeveloped in terms of storylines.
All Elite Wrestling has a major difference between its North American Rivals, namely WWE, ROH, and Impact; they don't have writers. Instead, the wrestlers pitch their own story ideas and interview scripts. This could create some interesting dynamics in the future, but it's rather early to tell.
Grade: C
AEW has great potential but still must prove to fans that it can craft compelling storylines to go along with the in-ring action.
#4 Wrestling quality
At the end of the day, fans pay their hard-earned money to see pro wrestlers doing what they do best; wrestling. This category is all about how good that wrestling is.
The upstart promotion created by Cody and The Young Bucks goes out of its way to put on heart-stopping pro-wrestling matches. That is their core value, and they execute it to perfection. There is no dead weight on the AEW roster, and it shows in their matches.
Indeed, AEW was founded by three men who were frustrated with the lack of emphasis most wrestling organizations put on the actual matches. Cody and The Young Bucks have made it their mission for AEW to stand out in this regard. So far, the fans have responded in a way that can only be classified as ecstatic.
Grade: A+
From Omega and Jericho to the sons of Dusty Rhodes battling in their own blood, AEW has the goods when it comes to in-ring action.
#5 Audience
Ostensibly, both AEW and WWE are targeting the same audience, i.e., wrestling fans, but there are some subtle differences between the two. In this category, we're not judging the veracity of their chosen demographic, just how successful they are in pulling it in.
AEW wants to get WWE fans to switch, of course, but their shows skew toward an older audience. The brutal bloodbath that was Dustin vs. Cody and Jon Moxley's work in the company has already proven that it might not be accessible to all age ranges.
The typical AEW audience skews more toward males aged 18-36, which is the same demographic targeted by WWE during the Attitude Era. They seem to be drawing in their chosen audience, but of course, it remains to be seen if they can make this audience into life long fans of All Elite Wrestling product.
Grade: B
AEW is certainly drawing in fans, but so far it hasn't been the revolution fans were hoping for.
#6 Industry buzz
When it comes to any industry, the more that your peers talk about you, or emulate you, the better off you generally are doing.
There's no doubt whatsoever that AEW enjoys a great deal of industry buzz. Even before the promotion was officially formed, fans and critics were discussing the possibility of its existence. Now each and every announcement made by the company is greeted with hushed, attentive fans eager to glean any tidbits they can about the direction of the company.
AEW turned the wrestling world on its head with All In and seems to have done a great job of keeping itself in the sports entertainment conversation. Fans on the internet wrestling community are constantly buzzing about AEW's upcoming TNT show, and it hasn't even started yet. If that's not good industry buzz, then what is?
Grade: A+
AEW has done a great job of keeping fans and critics buzzing about their product.
Overall Grade: B-
Averaging AEW's grades for all six categories results in a good, but not great, overall grade. However, AEW is clearly prepared for the Wednesday Night War. Now it's up to the fans to decide.
What do you think of AEW's chances in the upcoming wrestling war? Please comment and let us know. As always, thanks for reading!
