10 Awesome AEW Booking Moments Nobody Ever Talks About

4. The Tag Team Gauntlet Of August 27

Jon Moxley
AEW

AEW's ranking system is buried because it isn't used as the exclusive driver of storylines. Much of that is bad faith - emotion informs pro wrestling storytelling - but the Tag Team Gauntlet of August 27 was tremendous use of a system that is mostly well-utilised.

The four highest-ranked teams participated in the four team Gauntlet in ascending order. To reward the most successful team, FTR, they entered last. To preserve the idea that every win and loss matters, the teams ranked #2, #3 and #4 were also afforded the opportunity to challenge Kenny Omega and Hangman Page at All Out. AEW delves deeper than the simplicity of the #1 contender trope, and this was realised fabulously via this fair and dramatic tag team match.

The Bucks, ranked third, first faced the #4 ranked Natural Nightmares in a fun opener. The Bucks prevailed and went on to wrestle Best Friends in a better, richer match built around Chuck Taylor's injured knee. This furthered the idea, which left some exasperated, that AEW was about to waste, WWE-style, the Young Bucks Vs. FTR on free television.

This didn't happen; in a shocking twist sold magnificently, Hangman Page, in the end game of their campaign, was manipulated by FTR to cost his friends the shot.

A sublime fusion of the sporting framework and the emotive storytelling that always sells pro wrestling, the Gauntlet was expert overlapping booking that informed so much of the events to come.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!