10 Times AEW Put Amazing Details Into Storylines

5. Cody Vs. Chris Jericho

FTR Young Bucks
AEW

In a twist to the contract signing segment, the inevitable table wasn't broken, but rather Chris Jericho's code of a "gentleman's" agreement. It was a heel ruse, as was discovered when Sammy Guevara took us backstage to the assault on Dustin Rhodes.

Guevara is the vlogger who documents his entire career; this attentive key detail deftly sidestepped the sort of wrestling plot hole or straight up contrivance other companies are all too happy to wallow in, with an uncaring shrug, because that's always the way it was. Just make the camera operator invisible. Who cares?

A lot of people, actually.

Moreover, every beat of Cody's training vignette (itself tremendous) was lovingly mocked in an hilarious parody on the Full Gear go-home show, and in a great touch, one that intersected the comedy and the heat necessary to deepen the tone, that awful prick had the nerve to remove Virgil from the cobwebs, just to have a go at his deceased father.

It was no accident that this was the first major programme to launch Dynamite.

There was vibe to it not unlike that of WCW Vs. nWo: AEW intentionally programmed the familiar face of professional wrestling's past, the "carny succubus" Chris Jericho, with the leader of the new "Revolution" in Cody in a war for pro wrestling's soul that also informed...

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!