10 Things You Only Learn Attending AEW LIVE

8. Ring Of Honor DOES Get In The Way

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This take was clear enough watching the brand's output on Honor Club or barely registering its presence in the social media discourse.

The cynical take is that Tony Khan, as he does with countless free agent signings, operating with trademark impulsiveness, bought the company without thinking the decision through. The conspiratorial take is that Khan bought it to appease CM Punk, who was delighted to know that the entirety of his career would not be in the hands of Vince McMahon.

If in fact Khan did buy ROH as a passion project, it doesn't feel that way in the arena. He knows it too: the first hour of the taping was dedicated to ROH, but, realising it was an imposition, Khan booked the second round of ROH matches after Rampage. I don't wish to appear entitled here: ROH was bonus, optional content that did not affect the price of the ticket. Still, the taping did impact the AEW portion of the night, which seems counterproductive. Rampage - a televised show of not inconsiderable importance to AEW's bottom line - was taped into the fourth hour, by which time the atmosphere had flattened. It was tiring. The tired vibe of Rampage isn't ideal, and on this night at least, it was avoidable.

The prospect of watching Katsuyori Shibata in the sixth hour through half-closed eyes just wracked me with guilt, and there was moment, during Zack Sabre, Jr. Vs. Rocky Romero - a great match under different circumstances - when I'd lost count of how many times I'd seen a tornado DDT and couldn't feel anything as a result.

When the spectacular danger of such a spot doesn't register, it might be time to question AEW's Content Era.

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 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!