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It seems like ever since the moment All Elite Wrestling announced their weekly show on TNT, fans began choosing a side. It appeared as if there would be room in their hearts for only one professional wrestling promotion.
Personally, I had no intention of becoming an AEW weekly viewer. I had nothing against them, I just didn’t think I’d have the time or desire to follow another professional wrestling show. Luckily for me, we happened to tune in during the debut episode.
If you think you already have enough wrestling in your life and just haven’t given AEW a chance to entertain you, then this is the article for you. Here the top five reasons you should give AEW a chance.
#5 Presentation
The Announcers
The announce team comprises of Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, and the masked Excalibur. They all have decades of experience under their belt and find a great mix between calling the matches as well as simultaneously building the image of the wrestlers for unfamiliar fans. The announcers can make everything happening in the ring seem exponentially more important, and these three do it very well.
Time Limits
AEW has brought back the time limit. Cody Rhodes’ second match resulted in a time limit draw. AEW not only has the time limit, but they showed early on they are not afraid to use them. The time limit draw may not be the most satisfactory ending to a match but it helps create the feel of a real competition.
Wins and Losses Count
Speaking of feeling like a real competition, the win/loss records matter in AEW. The wins-losses-draws are all listed next to the names of each wrestler as they make their entrances. These records are being used to help determine who gets a chance to contend for titles. The announcers even made note of how Cody couldn’t afford another draw if he wants a title shot any time soon and that really raised the stakes for the match.
The camera and lighting almost give it the same feel as WCW Nitro. It’s simple yet sleek. The crowd remains clearly visible during matches. The ring is a simple grey color with black posts and ropes.
Compared to their counterparts, the screen at the entrance is modest, but it fits with the motif of AEW. The wrestlers and the action in the ring are what this show is about. Everything is designed in a way to put the focus on the performers,
Actions Speak Louder than Words
AEW is taking the "actions speak louder than words" approach as interference and violence are two of the primary mediums of choice for building the stories. For instance, after two episodes, we can clearly see that Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega are terribly angry with one another, and it’s been visible in their actions.
You may have also heard, when they do grab a mic, there are no scripts. Every wrestler on the card may not be the best performer on the mic, but they’d probably do even worse at delivering scripted promos. This method lets the stars shine, as we saw with Chris Jericho’s “promo of the year” on episode two of Dynamite.
#4 Tag Team wrestling
AEW has assembled some of the most talented tag teams in the world. Perhaps the biggest duo being the Young Bucks, who are also executives for the company have promised to feature tag team wrestling prominently on the show. They have recruited notable teams such as Private Party, Lucha Brothers, SoCal, Ortiz & Santana and more.
Episode two of Dynamite kicked off with a round one matchup between the top seeded Young Bucks and Private Party. The match was spectacular and had a very unpredictable finish, which we will discuss in a later slide. The match set the tone for the rest of the tournament and hopefully, for the tag team division in AEW, for years to come.
#3 Hot crowd
The audiences have thus far been genuinely thrilled at the action and they are voicing their honest response. It is hard to not get excited when you witness such crowd. After all, there’s a reason why sitcoms add a laugh track. Hulk Hogan vs. Rock at Wrestlemania 18 is one of the most fun matches you can watch. The main reason for that? The crowd.
Hogan and Rock played to the crowd masterfully, but their genuine excitement added to fun for viewers at home.
AEW’s crowd is something I haven’t seen in a long time. They enough to get you totally psyched about the action unfolding in the ring. And they are playing a big part in making these wrestlers household names.
#2 Using Stars to create stars
As mentioned previously, Cody Rhodes has already suffered a time-limit draw against Darby Allin and barely made it out of his Dynamite debut match against Sammy Guevara. He is already a massive star in independent pro-wrestling scene and the fans ut their trust in him. He is aware of the power he yields and he’s using it to bring focus on lesser known wrestlers, or give them the proverbial "rub."
AEW management (which includes Cody Rhodes) is well aware that they need to develop more stars to keep the fans intrigued.
Another example would be the tag team tournament. The Young Bucks were the obvious favorites to walk away from the tournament as the inaugural AEW Tag Team Champions. However, they lost in the first round to an extremely talented team called Private Party.
The show still carries existing stars to feud and headline shows, such as Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega, but developing their talent into household names or superstars appears to be at the top of their list of objectives.
This past Wednesday saw Chris Jericho introduce us all to his “Inner Circle.” As I mentioned earlier, the promos aren’t scripted so as to allow a natural flow. Chris Jericho is a master with a microphone in his hand. He made everyone of those guys in the ring with him appear as legitimate wrestling stars. If you haven’t watched Jericho's incredible promo, please give it a watch.
#1 Faction wars
Wrestling fans haven’t seen a good old fashioned, gritty faction war in a while. I hate to hearken back to the old WCW Nitro days again but the Inner-Circle vs. The Elites is shaping up to feel reminiscent of the nWo story-line. The Elite group is full of many of the organization's most recognizable names, most of whom are doubling in some sort of executive role with the company.
Chris Jericho has put together his group of rebels (The Inner Circle) claiming they will take over the AEW, which means a lot more when you consider the managerial roles that the Elites carry. After just two episodes, the characters and story-lines have already created serious tension.
While it may be reminiscent of the WCW/nWo story-line, it is its own fresh take on faction feuding. This is by no means a rehash of a 20-year-old story.
If you are a professional wrestling fan and you haven’t tuned into AEW yet, it’s time to give it a chance. Whether you thought you didn’t have time for a new show or don’t recognize the names of the majority of the wrestlers, you owe it to yourself as a fan to give AEW a shot.
I’m certainly glad I did. Did you?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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