10 AEW Stars Who Desperately Need New Gimmicks

2. Penta Oscuro (And Alex Abrahantes)

Penta Oscuro Alex Abrahantes
AEW

We arrive at the least effective gimmick in AEW today.

The rollout of Penta Oscuro has been such a flop that the character is already unsalvageable. Introduced with minimal build following a short vignette, we are supposed to receive this darker gimmick as an imposing nightmare even though the company has done nothing to reinforce this. Penta and Death Triangle lost their feud with House of Black. Their only win since Penta's Malakai Black-induced "transformation" was a seven-minute banana skin job on 23 February.

Oscuro's cartoonish presentation doesn't help either. His prop spade and headstone are Fiend-like in that they almost make the gimmick slapstick. Alex Abrahantes's 'Dark Priest' deal, meanwhile, is pure cringe. A nice guy by all accounts, Death Triangle's mouthpiece resembles a pantomime villain more fit for a children's Halloween party than somebody we're supposed to be afraid of.

The whole Death Triangle needs a reboot. Penta is too cartoonish, PAC has nothing to chew on, and Alex is better suited to other roles. AEW might as well rip it up and start again once Rey Fenix is back.

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Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.