10 Biggest AEW Creative Mistakes

8. Not Running Kenny Omega Vs. Eddie Kingston

Santana AEW Thumb
AEW

All Out 2021 was one of the best and most iconic wrestling shows of all-time. This might scan as total pedantry, but a 9.6/10 show could well have been a 10, had a teased mega match headlined it at the expense of Kenny Omega Vs. Christian Cage.

That match was very good, if a slightly inferior version of their perfectly built gem on the Rampage premiere, and Omega Vs. Eddie Kingston - built and then curiously abandoned across the summer - would have elevated a breathtaking show to perfect. Just imagine Kingston roaring through the pain of a V-Trigger spree, man.

Going with Cage enabled a trademark Tony Khan booking device, in that Cage's association with Jurassic Express informed the Falls Count Anywhere trios match at Full Gear, and there was another factor at play: Kingston was so beloved that he might have allowed fans to forget about the bond they'd built with Hangman Page over two super-focused years.

If Omega Vs, Kingston, a quite brilliant character contrast, had happened, it would not have undermined Kingston's popularity; if anything, it would have enhanced the heft of his "can't win the big one" programme with Chris Jericho.

In this post: 
santana
 
Posted On: 
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!