10 Major Moves AEW Could Make On Its Debut TV Show

6. Debut A Raft Of New Names

LAX Lucha Bros
Impact Wrestling

If CM Punk has shown no interest - annoyance, even - at the constant rumours, there are few if any candidates for that fabled Lex Luger-on-Nitro moment. The options are limited, and limited further by AEW's philosophy. The company has no desire to parachute established names in purely because they were once associated with WWE - which accounts for the absence of an Austin Aries, or a TJ Perkins.

There's a danger, too, of inviting parody.

Most are expecting a big debut - it's a mission statement trope for a mission statement of a show - and if that debut materialises in the form of a performer who is nowhere near the get Luger was, it might stigmatise AEW as small-time by comparison. The debuting Dark Order suffered badly at Double Or Nothing under the weight of expectation; when the lights went out, on one of the biggest shows in the modern history of pro wrestling, the fans weren't expecting a revamped cult PWG act to emerge under the bright lights.

To combat this, and restore the excitement of the post-WrestleMania RAW - in that the fans trust AEW to promote acts effectively at this point - AEW could debut several new names on the show.

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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!