10 Creeping Problems AEW MUST Fix

9. The Process Of Debuting New Talent

Andrade AEW
AEW

Sting's incredible surprise introduction feels like a rule-proving exception. The stunning aesthetic effectively portrayed him as an ageless, mythical icon. The grandeur was incredible.

Elsewhere, AEW has chased the pop far too often. The reasoning behind Andrade's introduction was sound enough - why not place him in front of an actual crowd? - and nobody would have ever thought that he'd receive such a subdued reaction. It just didn't work. It was overthought, and that crowd had endured about five weeks' worth of Dark tapings beforehand.

The mystery vignette breeds hype and conversation. If a ripped besuited cool bastard was filmed below the head putting on his jewellery, with a simple 'Coming Soon' graphic, Twitter blows up and several r/SquaredCircle threads are created asking who this person is. These are far more productive and enticing conversations than "The f*ck did Mark Henry say?" and "Why isn't Christian Cage CM Punk? Why wasn't Jey Reso literally named Phil Brooks at birth?"

The run matters so much more than the debut, but the false start is a sapping and familiar experience. AEW will invariably, ultimately get it right - but at a certain point, with a diehard base already established, it's probably better to create overwhelming hype than to build trust.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!