5 Reasons why AEW should bring back WCW’s Battlebowl concept

#2 Establishing fresh title contenders

Just as Hangman Page rose through the ranks at Double or Nothing, another star could benefit from a Battlebowl push

AEW has done a fine job of assigning stakes to its matches without even yet having titles in play. The initial Casino Battle Royale matches, for example, earning the victors entry into to title matches was good, sequential storytelling that also paved the way for a less established star to naturally shoot straight into a featured spot.

Battlebowl would offer another natural opportunity to grant the winner a title shot, or another featured opportunity. Whether it’s a matter of elevating a fresh face, providing a storyline reason for a main event guy to move into the title scene, or offering a platform for the surprise introduction of a new addition to the roster, Battlebowl works on a variety of levels as a way of mixing up the title scene.

Particularly as a new promotion, it will be vital for AEW to avoid the trap of featuring a small cluster of talents—and particularly the same two wrestlers—battling in the main event over and over again. Concepts like Battlebowl offer a night of something genuinely different in its own right, while paving the way forward for the top of the card.