10 Awesome Ideas That Were Cut From AEW

9. Chris Jericho's First AEW Stable

The Fist AEW
AEW

Chris Jericho has talked every now and then on Talk Is Jericho about the original plans for his first stable in AEW.

It was something he'd never done, but felt was the right time. It reinvented his character, the presence of henchmen underscored his top guy status, and it acted as a platform to get young talent over; while Jericho as Le Champion was tasked with launching AEW as a legitimate mainstream outfit in the short-term, ultimately, he was there to lend his immense acumen to the next generations.

In the end, he fronted the Inner Circle, comprised of himself, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz. The dynamic was superb; Guevara was so young and obnoxious that he could absorb pins and never lose his heat, Hager was effective as the muscle, and Santana and Ortiz added so much to so many angles with their brawling prowess.

This wasn't the original plan, which was also an awesome prospect. Though the final line-up was never settled for this ultimately abandoned faction, at various points, the Lucha Bros., MJF and Anthony Ogogo were all pitched. The sheer range in a theoretical 10-man tag worked by this stable would have really been something, but it wasn't as cohesive nor credible as the Inner Circle. MJF and the Lucha Bros. in particular embody completely opposite values.

The pitched name - The Fist - wasn't quite so awesome. It was an invitation for awful people to make problematic jokes more than something that conveyed domination.

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!