10 Things That Will NEVER Happen In AEW

7. Using The Invisible Camera*

Cody Rhodes Michael Cole
AEW

*Almost never.

So it has happened once or twice, and despairingly, the invisible camera wasn't acknowledged when Santana and Ortiz took a sledgehammer to Sue's van. One camera was; as tends to happen, because AEW respects the intelligence of its audience, Ortiz screamed fire down the lens to acknowledge the idea that this was a captured - as opposed to filmed - development. But then the POV switched to the interior of the car. This was inexplicable.

Why would Sue have a camera in the backseat?

This oversight was an aberration. Ordinarily, AEW takes great care to present an immersive world that holds up to scrutiny exceptionally well by pro wrestling standards.

The invisible camera became vogue throughout WWE's Attitude Era. It was a chaotic and boundless time in which the onscreen events unfolded across arenas and beyond, into hospital wards, rivers and funeral homes. Taking care to acknowledge it would only have exposed the plot holes, and besides, nobody really gave a sh*t. The top feuds were too hot and the top stars were too entertaining.

The invisible camera stuck around when the audience did not, because an unthreatened WWE settled into a formula. Its very existence reveals the scripted bullsh*t of the operation, and that bullsh*t stinks all the more when the overall product does.

There is no need for it. It's an inexplicable device left over from a once-successful template.

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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!