10 Secret AEW Storyline Details Hiding In Plain Sight

9. Music Tells A Long-Term Story

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AEW

Investment in a character is infectious. It's a hint.

The vignette, increased promo time, a string of wins across a short span of television: all are signals that the booker wants you to get behind a character they, evidently, have big plans for in storylines. Of course, one could look at a character like Xia Li and say, "Hold on a minute: she did f*ck all after all that, so what are you prattling on about?"

This of course doesn't apply to WWE. Don't be silly. But these are tools that a competent booker uses to encourage the public to invest in an act.

Another tool utilised by Tony Khan to get an act over is licensed music. This is a literal investment, one that hardly comes cheap - hence why Bryan Danielson sadly doesn't walk to the ring to Europe's 'The Final Countdown - but the expense itself is a small detail that a promoter thinks the talent is worth the money and indeed the push.

Jungle Boy was given his old indie theme 'Tarzan Boy' by Baltimora on the January 5, 2021 Dark. Exactly one year later, on the January 5, 2022 Dynamite, he won the AEW World Tag Team Title. This was a cool milestone underscoring that, in AEW, literal investment in a push will pay off long-term.

 
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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!