10 Major Moves AEW Could Make On Its Debut TV Show
9. Book A Multi-Woman Joshi Thriller
AEW, despite some contrary, divisive evidence, claims to be an alternative to WWE. To make this manifest, the company could present the absolute best version possible of the sort of in-ring action WWE is fundamentally uninterested in: joshi.
The performances entered thus far by the Japanese imports have charmed and electrified fans to such an extent that the work has obscured the deeply patchy start made by AEW's much-hyped Women's division. Brandi's role is such a weirdly faithful riff on Stephanie McMahon that it feels just as obnoxious - perhaps even more so, given the drastic extent to which she has missed the target.
Using mental health as bait-and-switch heat was both piss-poor storytelling and dumb PR misfire, in this climate, and so an exhilarating exhibition of what has worked thus far is probably a better idea. Joshi is such an awesome, unexplored genre of pro wrestling at its best: as totally f*cking brutal as it is impossibly charming as it is technically advanced, the wild dissonance is irresistible. The incredibly sympathetic Yuka Sakazaki generated a huge reaction at Fyter Fest, following her Double Or Nothing breakthrough. The audience shared her broken heart in defeat.
A platform for her raw talent represents a less abrasive attack on WWE, one fired by subtext: that company won't do anything with Asuka or Kairi Sane on TV. This company doesn't discriminate.
Or, alternatively...