10 Times AEW Buried Itself

By Michael Hamflett / December 4, 2024

For a long time, Elite Wrestling's very existence was justified by its simple existence as an alternative to WWE.

A promotion fuelled by the creative vision of its founders to satisfy a fanbase starving for something new on the mainstream stage, AEW balanced the supply and demand almost impeccably at its creative and commercial peak. Thrilling matches, engaging long-term stories, and a sense of authenticity were the norm, brought into sharp focus by how much the opposite was often true in WWE. The market leader seemed incapable of seeing good creative through, while the challenger brand made that level of investment its fundamental M.O.

Many of the cliches about the industry being cyclical are true, but while the pendulum has unexpectedly swung WWE's way since Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace twice, AEW has undermined its own success by mastering the art of the self-own. Misfires are not borne out of malice or negligence, but the sort of blunders you’d expect from a young promotion still learning how to navigate the spotlight.

From the very beginning, AEW has gone all in. Unfortunately, that meant the same flair saved for all-time great moments has been afforded to some total stinkers. Such as when...

10. Discourse Takes A Dive

The 2020 public fallout between Jim Ross and Brandon Cutler highlighted generational tensions in wrestling philosophy in general, but underscored AEW's ongoing challenges with public relations even during a creative zenith.

Ross - still AEW's lead commentator - criticised the overuse of dives in modern wrestling on his podcast, noting that; "All you guys go outside. You cluster up like coils. You stand there in a huddle, friends and foes together, side by side so you can catch some leaping idiot going over the top who never wins with this move",

His advocating for a more measured approach seemed short on a measured appraisal and struck a nerve with Cutler, who fired back on Twitter using Ross' words against him in promotion of a multi-man match he was involved in, posting that; “THIS WEDNESDAY on #AEWDynamite 7 vs 7. We’re gonna go outside, cluster up like coils, stand there in a huddle, friends and foes together, side-by-side to catch some leaping idiot going over the top".

The exchange divided fans and talent, and undermined AEW’s vitally important image of locker room unity and mutual respect. Instead of fostering dialogue, it revealed glimmers of internal discord, slightly betraying a brand that felt otherwise invincible.

9. Tony Khan's Questionable Victory Lap

In the aftermath of October 2023’s one-off "Tuesday Night War" between NXT and AEW Dynamite, an infamous Tony Khan tweet about John Cena and The Undertaker drew reactions almost far more intense than the novelty ratings battle itself.

NXT, bolstered by a ludicrous slate of some of WWE’s biggest stars, outdrew AEW Dynamite in total viewers, boasting 921,000 to Dynamite’s 609,000. In the face of some of the usual responses to such a result, Khan seized upon a historic statistic: this was the first time the likes of John Cena and The Undertaker had appeared on a mainstream show to less than a million viewers. Broadly, he framed it as a moral victory for Dynamite.

It was a quintessential Tony Khan move in how it kept receipts but revealed them chaotically. AEW had, after all, held its ground in the all-important 18-49 demo, drawing 0.26 to NXT’s 0.30. But this wasn’t about numbers, it was about narrative. For many, it was something of a bleak grasp for a second "win" when the first would have sufficed. For Khan, the fact that WWE needed such names to fend off Dynamite’s cameo on Tuesdays reinforced AEW's ailing position as a disruptor.

8. "Not Good Booking"

Rather fittingly considering a golden era for All Elite Wrestling was starting to fade, it was during a Daily's Place "New Year's Dash" edition of Dynamite that an infamous promo exchange made end-of-year award consideration, even though both performers had left the company long before December.

An out-of-nowhere rivalry between Dam Lambert and Brandi Rhodes existed to set up lower midcard tag team action with the Men Of The Year and The Nightmare Family, but the uncomfortable tone and questionable execution of the fiery exchange ensured that only the talkers got any of the attention. Lambert was venomous as ever to Rhodes, calling her an ex-stripper and mocking her age.

Brandi interrupted, calling Lambert a "less talented version of Paul Heyman" and offered her out for a fight there and then, leaning on his BJJ status. Her mic-drop followed, retorting with "oh, so you're a black belt? Well I'm a black bitch! Let's go!"

The bizarre scene was immediately and brutally punctuated by the arrival of Dustin Rhodes to be the one to take a shot from behind by the heels, and by commentator Jim Ross. Blithely brushing it off, he remarked that this was "not good booking" as the segment floundered and flailed to a nondescript conclusion.

7. "Nobody Cares"

The November 14th, 2024 edition of AEW Dynamite delivered a moment that would have once scanned as a car-crash TV for the challenger brand, but rather than reflecting badly on the promotion, it simply just served to bury the two people directly involved.

Following a singles clash between Serena Deeb and Dr Britt Baker DMD on the October 2nd edition of the show (won by Baker), Deeb emerged on the ramp a few weeks later following Baker's victory over Penelope Ford. Presumably, she was there to illustrate that she had unfinished business, and maybe even call for a rematch. Before she had a chance, Baker as good as put a bullet in the story there and then.

On camera and on microphone, she repeatedly and loudly said "nobody cares", gesturing to the quiet crowd. She referred to her as irrelevant before again drawing attention to the disinterested audience. The ordinarily composed Deeb looked momentarily flustered, recovering only to deliver an uninspired retort that fell on deaf ears. What made the moment worse was the glaring lack of follow-up. Commentary barely acknowledged the exchange, with even experienced hands Tony Schiavone and Excalibur sounding like they didn’t know whether to sell it as a transgressive slice of worked frustration, or an ill-advised shoot. Instead of building heat for their feud, Baker’s jab undermined Deeb entirely and per this writing a month later, there's been zero verbal or physical follow-up.

There's been a little of this in Baker's past too...

6. Sandbagging The Champion

Until an extremely promising and at-times exhilarating 2024 in the AEW Women's Division, Britt Baker Vs Thunder Rosa from the 2021 St Patrick's Day Slam edition of Dynamite was the ceiling for the league. The hatred between the two simmered throughout the bloody war, elevating what was already a strong plunder match into something altogether more transcendent.

As it turned out, there was more than a little fuel to the fire, and it re-emerged during an extremely questionable backstage promo a year later.

Rosa had beaten Baker for the title in a good steel cage match one year on from their classic encounter, but had since experienced mixed fortunes as champion. In particular, there was some unflattering gossip about Rosa’s supposed "sandbagging" of opponents, resulting in Baker dropping in on a July 14th backstage promo with Rosa and Toni Storm to hand out literal sandbags to the babyfaces.

Already under scrutiny for inconsistent booking and a lack of comparable representation, the AEW women's division couldn’t afford its top stars fuelling public discord. As with the 2024 Serena Deeb jab, instead of fostering interest in a heated rivalry, the promo undercut both talents. It shifted attention to whatever real-life beef there might have been, and the perceived bad attitude of Baker in particular.

5. "Is He Sick?"

As the most experienced broadcaster during the AEW's earliest days, Jim Ross’s confusion and dismissal of Kenny Omega’s Undertale costume during the Halloween 2019 edition of Dynamite showcased a notable disconnect at the commentary table and indeed between significant figures within the company.

Omega is and has always been known for embracing niche pop culture references and chose to dress as Sans from the aforementioned game. It was a nod appreciated by younger fans and gaming enthusiasts alike, and explained in detail by Excalibur as Omega entered, and in such a way that tethered the outfit to the storyline dip in form the 'Best Bout Machine' was experiencing. Ross’s open bewilderment and indifference (and arguable disdain) - even after Excalibur’s notes - created an awkward moment on commentary. But it extended beyond that.

Ross' reaction inadvertently highlighted a generational gap within AEW’s presentation, and gave bad-faith actors an excuse to exploit a divide. While Excalibur worked to contextualise Omega’s choice for fans unfamiliar with the game, Ross’ "Is he sick? Is he mentally unwell?!" retort undermined the effort and attempt at folding storytelling into a Halloween choice.

4. Jon Moxley "Hates" AEW

Pro: Jon Moxley, in attempting to lead from the front and with enough credit in the bank to do so, publicly reveals his frustrations with the creative decline of AEW and indifference from some of the locker room he perceives to not want it enough.

Con: The Deathriders leader made the same statements in a promo clumsily attempting to establish his new heel stable during an era for the company where plenty of fans would actually agree with his stance.

The comments, made both on television and in media appearances, felt like a departure from the steadfast loyalty Moxley has shown since debuting in AEW in 2019. Delivered with his trademark intensity, the statements immediately sparked speculation: was this part of a larger story, or had he reached a breaking point?

On AEW television, the disdain sounded real, amplified by his gravelly delivery and the palpable tension in the arena. Fans, unsure whether to boo or cheer, met the moment with stunned silence. He doubled down in media interviews, assessing the leadership elements of his role in AEW, strongly implying that forceful change was the only way out of the slump. As he eloquently put it; “There’s just a lot of noise in the world, and sometimes, you really got to do something drastic to really get everybody to stop what they’re doing and look in your direction to make a point, and I’m absolutely not afraid to do that,”

Whether all an elaborate work in not, Moxley’s statements highlight AEW’s perpetual tightrope walk between on-screen chaos and backstage harmony.

3. Airing The "Brawl In" Footage

AEW’s decision to show backstage camera footage of the infamous CM Punk/Jack Perry fight on the April 10th, 2024 edition of Dynamite was shocking by design.

The footage - a grainy but gripping glimpse of the real-life altercation that rocked the company just minutes before their biggest show ever months earlier - blurred the line between storytelling and reality in a way few promotions dare to attempt. In that respect, it was bold. In others, it was an unnecessary airing of dirty laundry when the opportunity to simply let the situation lie was within reach.

The clip was captivating on first viewing, even though it was fundamentally just a few seconds of human drama: Perry shoving Punk, Punk retaliating, and a flurry of crew members scrambling to break them apart. While brief, it confirmed long-speculated details about the incident that had been shrouded in rumour and spin, and brought back into the discourse by CM Punk's appearance on Ariel Helwani's podcast days earlier. But in the aftermath, fans were once again divided.

Supporters praised AEW for embracing transparency and leaning into its chaotic identity. Critics accused the company of exploiting real-life tensions at the expense of its locker room’s morale. Ultimately, the segment embodied the too-much-information ethos that has both endeared AEW to fans and has on occasion exposed its greatest vulnerabilities.

And going back to CM Punk, where else to head on that but to...

2. Brawl Out

You know the story. Everybody knows the story. To this day, over two years later, it directly and indirectly somehow continues to be the story. That's the problem.

CM Punk’s scorched-earth tirade was a moment that saw AEW buried under the weight of its own dysfunction, with or without the man himself making it clear. The timing of his pre-planned rant was telling - what should have been a triumphant showcase for a promotion thriving on creative freedom became a chaotic spectacle that exposed cracks in its foundation. The unfiltered comments targeting the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page weren’t just inflammatory on their own terms. They shattered the illusion of AEW as the harmonious alternative to WWE.

Punk, sitting beside a visibly stunned Tony Khan, ripped into his colleagues, calling them "irresponsible EVPs" and dismissing their backstage conduct in a rant that felt personal, not performative. His "I’m trying to run a business here" remark stood out as particularly damning, implying that nobody else around him was. Worse still was Tony Khan’s reaction, or lack thereof. Silent and wide-eyed, Khan’s seeming inability to regain control spoke volumes. AEW had built its brand on freedom, but here it looked rudderless, with the owner letting his biggest star hijack the narrative.

Rather than showcasing AEW’s strengths, the presser became a case study in mismanagement. It aired dirty laundry to millions, leaving AEW’s reputation forever scarred.

1. Ric Flair (General)

AEW’s decision to work with Ric Flair in late 2023 epitomised the company’s frustrating knack for undermining its own principles.

What should have been a celebration of a wrestling legend’s storied career became a case study in tone-deaf booking, as AEW leaned into nostalgia at the expense of its own credibility. Initially introduced as a surprise gift to Sting, Flair’s arrival at Dynamite was met with mixed reactions, to say the least. The live crowd understandably popped for the moment, but less generous online discourse quickly turned critical.

Flair’s controversial personal history, including very recent allegations of historic sexual misconduct, made him an odd choice for a promotion that had prided itself on being forward-thinking and progressive. Furthermore, rather than enhancing Sting’s retirement tour, 'The Nature Boy's presence dragged things into uncomfortable territory. The decision became even harder to justify as Flair was positioned not just as a nostalgic cameo but as a recurring on-screen figure. Tony Khan's assertions that AEW didn't need to pay for his contract due to the agreement with Flair's energy drink justifiably did nothing to quell the anger.

As it all trundled on, the rambling promos and increasingly erratic presence clashed with AEW’s core values. rendering Flair little more than an alienating distraction.