10 Secret ingredients that AEW has when they debut on TNT

All Elite Wrestling is now officially 3 PPV's old. While all their shows have not been equal in impact, there's no denying that they have set the wrestling industry on fire. Jon Moxley called it a 'paradigm shift' and Cody Rhodes calls it a revolution. But whatever the case may be, they certainly got everyone's attention.

When the deal with TNT was announced, it got people nostalgic and excited at the same time. TNT was the home of WCW for several years before it got shut down in 2001. For wrestling fans, this is a return to something special. And they feel it in their veins and they see it in AEW.

Everyone loves a good underdog story. Sure, they have a billionaire backing them but that doesn't mean that they are on top of the food chain. For all intents and purposes, WWE will always be the #1 wrestling company for the foreseeable future.

With the latest announcement that AEW's first show on TNT will debut on October 02, 2019 on a Wednesday, things are going to be heating up very soon. The first show sold out in 3 hours and will presumably have a large audience watching them in the arena. It's the viewers at home they will need to grab and keep them watching in the months to come.

There are things that AEW has in their arsenal that some analysts have overlooked, which will allow them to be more than ready for their TV debut.

Here are 10 secret factors AEW has once they debut on TNT.

#10 Surprise Appearances

Surprises are what makes wrestling great!

When Jon Moxley jumped that barricade at AEW Double or Nothing, the crowd erupted. He made his way to the ring and jumped the barricade and they loved every minute of it. It didn't matter whether he was a face or heel, he was here to take names, smash skulls and begin a paradigm shift. Considering that the AEW commentators were unaware, it added to the drama.

Recently, it was announced that The Elite will be taking on Chris Jericho and two mystery partners on the first show. Who could it be? I'm sure there are plenty of names, but that's the fun of it. It keeps the audience guessing until the crucial moment arrives.

Akin to how WCW Nitro was pulling off surprise after surprise, AEW can use the same tactic. It's fair to say that they won't do it every time as such surprises become redundant but they can do it with smart booking.

#9 AEW Stats and Analysis

One of the features that AEW will be introducing into AEW is that wins and losses will matter. One of the criticisms of other major promotions is that the losses don't seem to matter at times as the performer would suddenly find themselves in the main event picture despite being depicted as a glorified jobber.

With Tony Khan's background in analytics, AEW has a chance to introduce a ranking system which would take a look at everything from what finishing move was used in a certain match to losses that occurred due to pinfall or submission. The sky is the limit with this one. There are numerous possibilities as it can start looking like a real sport, such as the UFC.

What statistics do is create fan interaction because that is what sports fans enjoy doing. AEW's push in this direction only has an upside to it.

#8 Luchasaurus

If there was one wrestler who stood out at the recently concluded Fight for the Fallen, it was Luchasaurus. The crowd was loving every minute he was in the ring. His alliance with Jungle Boy as A Boy and his Dinosaur is an organic pairing that just works perfectly. Luchasaurus has the potential to be a star in the company and he's easily the biggest man on the AEW roster.

It would not be impetuous to believe that he could be a main-event star. From a marketing perspective, he's easily someone who could be a hit with the kids and perhaps, sells lots of Dino masks. Moreover, he has special energy when he is in the ring and it's quite telling that he knows how to work a crowd.

Combine that with his athletic ability and AEW has a certified star on their hands for the future.

#7 Realism (with some blood and guts)

When it comes to the various storylines and matches that AEW is booking, there is an idea that it is placed in some sort of real-world realism. Much like a Christopher Nolan film, everything about AEW seems to have a heightened realism about it. This is not to say that other promotions don't have it, at the moment, AEW seems to be doing it a lot better

Take the recent altercation between Cody Rhodes and Shawn Spears. When Spears levelled Cody with the chair, it was purposeful and had a lot of meaning to it. While the blood was an accident, it did help the angle and heighten that realism that few have rarely seen. Professional wrestling is at its best when it blurs the lines so realistically.

When wrestling is good, it's great. And AEW is ticking all those boxes.

#6 Tag Team Action

The Young Bucks, The Lucha Bros, Best Friends, The Dark Order, SCU, Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus and Private Party. If AEW has something over other promotions, it's that they have some of the best tag teams in the professional wrestling business. With The Young Bucks as Vice-Presidents, it's been made very clear that tag team wrestling will be front and center in AEW.

It's a wonderful mix of teams that few have rarely heard of, with established veterans. For example, at AEW Fyter Fest, Private Party lost their tag match to Best Friends but was given an opportunity to shine. In essence, they got over while losing and that's not the easiest thing to do in wrestling.

With a tag-team tournament underway, which will play out on the live show, it's going to be interesting how things progress for the tag team division. AEW on TNT is going to be an awesome superkick party.

#5 Organic Storylines

There's something quite brilliant with the way storylines have evolved in AEW via their various YouTube channels. Because of the way social media works, everything has to be short, straightforward and to the point. It does leave fans wanting for more.

Take the recent Shawn Spears vs Cody Rhodes storyline. When Spears hit Cody with the chair, the seeds were sown. He explained his actions via an interview with Jim Ross, was because Cody Rhodes called him a 'good hand.' In a few minutes, he detailed their backstory and shared history.

His new manager, Tully Blanchard was also introduced to the viewing audience. For smart wrestling fans, Tully Blanchard had a proper feud with Dusty Rhodes and thus, would be an asset in Shawn Spear's corner.

The larger point is that the storylines have multiple subtle layers that are mixed with doses of reality. So far, the drama that they're presenting is believable enough to be entertaining. And that's part of AEW's secret sauce.

#4 The AEW Roster

The AEW roster is very good. It's not like WCW of the past who seemed to recruit every WWE Superstar that was available. AEW has made strategic and definitive signings that have an eye of diversity, high-intense wrestling ability and demographics.

With wrestlers like Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and MJF, they have young wrestlers coming up the ladder who could capture the hearts of a teenage audience. Chris Jericho made this point recently during an interview.

We have enough guys that no one has seen before. We got a lot of young guys like Jungle Boy, MJF, both those guys are 23 years old. That appeals to a different demographic. My daughters are 12 and they don't like wrestling but they like Jungle Boy.

On top of that, they have established names like Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley, who is known to the casual audience. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks are more known to the hardcore wrestling fanbase.

What this means is that you have established players who can put the young guys over and build them to take over when the time is right. It's a time-tested strategy and AEW seem to be doing it just right.

#3 AEW Female Division

While some have criticized AEW's women's roster for being on the weaker side, it's almost like a sleeping giant of this promotion. Consider this! You have several women of color in top roles, an international presence with wrestlers from Japan and the UK and a Transgender woman wrestler (Nyla Rose) who is highlighted as 'the monster' of the division.

It also helps that Awesome Kong is part of the roster. Considering she's now a mainstream star with her appearing on Netflix's GLOW, it only helps showcase the female wrestlers. And Britt Baker looks like she's going to be the John Cena of the division who the promotion will build the division around.

With AEW's first women's champion to be crowned on the TNT show, women wrestlers will eventually become one of the main draws of AEW. It's only a matter of when and not if.

#2 AEW's Underdog Status

There's been this weird undercurrent with ECW and that it feels like the second coming of ECW. While WCW was the one everyone talked about, it was ECW who was the most creative in the 1990s led by Paul Heyman. They broke all the rules and did things that were unheard of in professional wrestling. They were the real alternative.

While AEW does have a billionaire backing them, the similarities are quite interesting. If anything, there is an "us vs. them" vibe going on. People tend to favor the underdog and it's no different for All Elite Wrestling. And it's true people want a legitimate alternative in the industry and they are finding it in AEW.

While that goodwill they earned may run out, it's still burning bright and that's going to be driving the company forward in the days to come.

#1 The Elite

These are the guys who started it all. The Elite which consists of Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page. In a way, they are the core of the company. They are the epitome of the gold standard of wrestling and the 'E' in AEW. They can either be the faces of the company or be the inbuilt authority figures when the storyline demands it.

While some may point out that they could run into problems as to when they're booking themselves in matches, recent evidence suggests that they're able to look beyond themselves. To quote Spock, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

For example, Kenny Omega lost to Chris Jericho. Cody Rhodes battled to a draw against Darby Allin. The Lucha Brothers will be taking on The Young Bucks in a ladder match at AEW All Out. And it could be the luchadores going over this time around.

Who knows what's going to happen on the first live TNT show? But it's going to be a fun ride. What could happen? Well, we'll have to tune in and find out.

What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.

Edited by Israel Lutete