10 AEW Wrestlers Tony Khan Totally FUMBLED

9. The Four Pillars (As A Concept)

Ricky Starks Tony Khan
AEW

The build to the Four Pillars match at *Double or Nothing* 2023 was a frustratingly missed opportunity, failing to deliver the compelling story such a unique (and ultimately excellent) match deserved. 

With Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, Jungle Boy, and MJF all representing AEW's homegrown future - and labelled as such from the beginning of the company - this should have been a showcase of the organisation's young talent in a narrative-driven, high-stakes contest for their richest prize. Instead, AEW muddled the build with convoluted promos, unnecessary comedy, and repetitive segments that undermined the seriousness of the feud. 

As the clear biggest star of the group and defending champion, MJF carried the bulk of the promos while the others struggled to find consistent character depth or motivation. The storyline lacked tension and personal stakes, feeling more like a thrown-together showcase than a defining moment for AEW's future stars. By the time the match arrived, the excitement around the "Four Pillars" concept had largely fizzled, leaving a once-in-a-generation story feeling half-baked and underwhelming.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett