10 Bad Habits AEW Must Kick RIGHT NOW
8. Recycled Storylines
At this point, Tony Khan should book an angle in which a wrestler is told by some faction boss or other that they aren't worth recruiting. Much of US wrestling is built on disrespect, and being told that one isn't worthy of being in a stable is now far worse than being called a bitch.
"You don't want to be in my stable (of losers)? F*ck you then, let's have a match on Rampage" is a horribly over-familiar plot device in AEW. Some would argue that they took the piss with this nearly three years ago, when the Dark Order, Nightmare Collective and Inner Circle all recruited wrestlers concurrently.
Conversely, AEW has also perfected the trope via the Blackpool Combat Club. Never again will fans see a better display of earning the spot, or a more authoritative endorsement, than Jon Moxley welcoming Wheeler YUTA into the fold.
Which is all the more reason to abandon the device elsewhere.
Without being overly harsh to 10, who's a promising hoss in a promotion that he can't possibly evolve in now, what does Andrade want with him? He's a green prelim guy with a storyline bum knee. Rush inexplicably turned on his own flesh and blood, who also happens to be a phenomenal wrestler, for a complete stranger who is on the shelf and hasn't done anything.
AEW did the world's worst version of Bret Vs. Owen to - yes - set up a match that will take place on Rampage when even less people care about it.
What are we doing here?