10 Times AEW Made The Critics Look Like IDIOTS

6. "These Wrestlers Will Never Get Over"

CM Punk
AEW

They said Orange Cassidy made a mockery of wrestling and was too silly for the "sports-oriented" promotion.

He got over by adapting his heavily ironic indie schtick as a psychological ploy - not one wrestler has ever sold his kicks - and is currently in the process of a fighting champion gimmick in what is the funniest, most ironic punchline of all.

They said Darby Allin was too small and too weird to get over, and if he somehow did, he'd destroy his body within a year.

Darby Allin is a top five technical wrestler on the planet and got over because he is also a top five pure babyface who is incredible at mounting a comeback after selling like a master.

They said Kenny Omega was too arch to get over as a star on major US cable.

Kenny Omega in 2021 essentially brought back the WWE Attitude Era with his ultra-creative use of the backstage environment, and the peak of his run as the Belt Collector coincided with the promotion's strongest consistent run of TV ratings in 18-49.

They said Christian Cage was a disappointment and that his early run was dry and boring.

Christian 'The Gigachad' Cage is now one of the most despicable and effective heels in all of wrestling.

And so on.

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!