10 Real Reasons Why Wrestling Fans Never Get What They Want

10. More Pre-Taped Content On AEW Programming

Gabriel Kidd stole the G1 Climax '23 press conference by harnessing his simple, brilliant violent thug energy to shockingly leap over a table and batter Yota Tsuji and then, in a second out-of-f*cking-nowhere attack in as many seconds, Kaito Kiyomiya.

Can't AEW replicate this wonderful annual tradition when promoting the Owen Hart Foundation Cup?

Sadly, you won't see much of this sort of thing - or long video packages, or extended Jim Ross sit-down interviews - in AEW. The numbers are where the live action is. You get Malakai Black and Miro doing backstage pre-tapes, but they are brief, and the candid sit-down interviews most recently conducted by Renee Paquette are edited to death at the expense of the tension built in the take.

NXT is a growth product, improving ratings year on year, and that brand airs a lot of pre-taped content. Could AEW draw inspiration from WWE? Except with pre-tapes that aren't some of the worst things you've ever seen?

Potentially - trends can shift - but the AEW audience traditionally drifts off and turns the channel when they aren't watching live, immediate, urgent action. AEW even as a pseudo-sport is considered DVR-proof, hence why it got a footing on TV despite advertisers' historic aversion to wrestling - and ratings data bears this out.

AEW, maddeningly, could do something special in this area. The Kenny Omega Vs. Hangman Page video package ahead of Full Gear 2020 was good, but the one before the next year's show could have been an all-timer.

Sadly, AEW fans gravitate towards live action in ratings patterns.