10 Awesome Ways Wrestling Promotions Made Titles Prestigious
4. AEW Sets The Modern Standard
In which AEW's advantage was also a detriment.
They had a clean slate on which to build a World Title. It's easier to heat something up than reheat it, yes, but they had one shot. And they nailed it - bizarre, enforced decision to recognise contention via oil-slicked banter battle royal notwithstanding.
Chris Jericho won it cleanly by defeating Hangman Page at All Out, and he wore it fabulously. He lent his star power and recognition to the title and carried it like a superstar. He was on fire as Dynamite roared into life as a tremendous promo who knew exactly, via angles and video packages, how to build the big fight. The decision to arm Jericho with a stable - a gang of pricks with which he could protect his title - was, in addition to great, match-spawning TV storytelling, a measure of how much it meant to him.
Jon Moxley dethroned him at Revolution, and he further built its prestige by evolving into a near-invincible Ace figure too good to lose, and too good not to recognise. The hard-fighting, expert strategist strutted through various circles of hell to defend it and articulated his struggle in awesome short-form promos that put the title over as the most coveted in the sport.
To be the man in AEW, you must beat the man.